(Beginning of Article) The North and South Shenango Crime Watch held their November meeting at the North Shenango Municipal Building on Linn Road.

The Pledge of Allegiance was said and their were 12 concerned citizens present.

Board members from North Shenango present at the meeting were Bonnie Kroniser, Linda Durney and Tony Durnye.

Board members from South Shenango present at the meeting were Sharon Ziegler and Cheryl Godfrey.

SST Board member Shirley Clark was absent due to health reasons.

Secretary Linda Durnye took the minutes.

The motion to accept the minutes from the previous meeting was made, seconded and carried.

The Treasurer’s Report was read before the motion carried unanimously to accept it.

The annual Halloween Party was a big success, with families once again having the opportunity for a safe and fun event held at the NST Community Center.

Citizen Crime Patrols were discussed, with nothing major to report from allotments and residences around North and South Shenango Townships.

The Fries Road Bridge was mentioned, with citizens speculating that the road would become a speedway once the bridge was re-opened.

The annual Crime Watch Christmas Party will be held at the Andover Scooter’s beginning with drinks at 6:00pm and dinner at 7:00pm.

A select menu of Pasta with side, Steak with side or Stuffed Chicken Breast and side will be available.

Always keep receipts, shipping invoices, credit card and banking statements hidden away, out of sight.

A fire-proof safe or lock box is recommended, available with a key at any Wal Mart.

Ms. Surma stated that burglars and thieves who break into homes are not stealing tv sets or stereos, they are stealing checks out of your check book, along with the account numbers and committing fraud, often draining bank accounts because home owners often don’t realize the checks and account numbers have been stolen.

Thieves also steal credit card statements out of homes to obtain account numbers, in order to make purchases at your expense.

Again, credit card holders not being aware until unknown purchases begin to appear on their statements.

Purchasing a "cross-ways" paper shredder is recommended. Shredders that leave long, skinny pieces can be rummaged through and important documents pieced back together like a puzzle, thus revealing important account numbers to banks and credit cards.

Ms. Surma attested to this, as she and some colleagues mistakenly shredded some papers one time at the office and then went through the shredder, piecing the documents back together.

She said it took a long time to do this, but they were eventually successful in retrieving the information needed.

The same can happen in a home invasion if thieves steal documents, so use a cross-ways shredder or even a burn barrel to burn any confidential papers and documents that are discarded.

Reviewing receipts and credit card statements is a good practice to follow, as accounting errors may occur, or unknown purchases may appear.

Remember that your bank will never e-mail you or call you asking for your bank account number. Any kind of "routine maintenance or verification" is always done in person. Check monthly bank statements for charges or debits you don’t recognize.

Obtain a copy of your credit report from each of the three national credit bureaus once a year.

Ms. Surma stated that consumers are entitled to a free credit report from each of these, and that consumers should stagger the request on a quarterly basis.

For example, inquire at Equifax just after the Christmas holidays, then at Memorial Day inquire at TransUnion, then at Labor Day, inquire at Experian.

She went on to remind citizens that foreign lotteries are illegal here in the US. If anyone should receive an unexpected phone call stating they’ve won money in a foreign lottery, it is a scam.

Citizens can never win any foreign lottery, no matter what the caller says.

In this scam, the caller tells the recipient they have won a large sum of money in a foreign lottery, and that "processing fees of $1,200 on up" must be sent in order to start the payout process. Then more money is needed to transfer the currency into US dollars.

Then even more money is needed to start the shipping and handling process for the check to be mailed.

Soon the unwary citizen is out tens of thousands of dollars, with no lottery check in sight.

Beware of any buyer who wants to overpay you for an item you are selling, and requests you send them the difference. This is a scam.

The check they give you for the item will bounce, and they will keep the money you sent them as "change."

Ms. Surma took questions and gave advice to citizens, also mentioning to leave lights on in the house at night, even a tv left on, to let people know the house is in use, even if you step out for the evening.

Tony Durnye thanked Elaine Surma for her time before moving the meeting on to the 50/50 drawing, which was won by Carole Stevens from South Shenango.

Bonnie Kroniser made the cake and donated the donuts.

The meeting was then adjourned for the evening, with everyone staying afterwards for cake and coffee.

The North and South Shenango Crime Watch meets every third Thursday at 7:00pm, at alternating sites.

The public is invited to attend.