Opioid abuse fundraiser to be hosted at Blue Crabs game

The Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office will host a fundraiser to Battle Opioid Abuse at the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs’ last Saturday home game on Sept. 16 at Regency Furniture Stadium. The community is also invited to come before game time from 5-6 p.m. to drop off unwanted prescription medications at the State’s Attorney’s Office’s Drop-Off Center in the stadium parking lot. One hundred students that purchase tickets through the fundraiser will get the opportunity to receive a free Under Armour book bag during game time. For more information, go to ccsao.us/BattleOpioidAbuse or contact Kandes Carter at carterk@charlescountymd.gov.

Franchot warns tax pros of scam to steal usernames, passwords

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) is alerting tax professionals and those working within the tax industry about a new phishing email scam impersonating tax software providers and attempting to steal usernames and passwords.

The Internal Revenue Service said this latest scam email variation comes with a subject line of “Software Support Update” and highlights an “Important Software System Upgrade.” It thanks recipients for continuing to trust the software provider to serve their tax preparation needs and mimics the software providers’ email templates.

The e-mail informs the recipients that due to a recent software upgrade, the preparer must revalidate their login credentials. It provides a link to a fictitious website that mirrors the software provider’s actual login page. Instead of upgrading software, the tax professionals are providing their information to cybercriminals who use the stolen credentials to access the preparers’ accounts and to steal client information.

This sophisticated scam yet again displays cybercriminals’ tax savvy and underscores the need for tax professionals to take strong security measures to protect their clients and protect their business. This is the time of year when many software providers issue software upgrades and when tax professionals are working to meet the Oct. 15 deadline for extension filers.

The Security Summit reminds tax professionals that software providers do not embed links into emails asking them to validate passwords. Also, tax professionals and taxpayers are advised to never open a link or an attachment from a suspicious email.

Tax professionals who receive emails purportedly from their tax software providers seeking login credentials should send those scam emails to their tax software provider.

For Windows users, follow this process to help the investigation of these scam emails:

1) Use “Save As” to save the scam. Under “save as type” in the drop-down menu, select “plain text” and save to the desktop. Do not click on any links.

2) Open a new email and attach this saved email as a file.

3) Send a new email containing the attachment to the tax software provider, as well as a copy to Phishing@IRS.gov.

The Comptroller’s Office reminds taxpayers not to reply to emails or phone calls asking for confidential information, most especially Social Security numbers, birth dates, salary information or home addresses. Maryland taxpayers may call 1-800-MD-TAXES or send an email to mdcomptroller@comp.state.md.us to report a problem.

Md. Lighthouse Challenge 11th anniversary scheduled

One of the missions of the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society is to educate, inform and entertain those who are interested in Chesapeake Bay area lighthouses. On the weekend of Sept. 16 and 17, in partnership with the lighthouse organizations across the state, the chapter will do just that.

Participants who visit participating lighthouses during the allotted hours will receive a complimentary souvenir of that lighthouse. It is not necessary to visit all the lighthouses to participate and they can be visited in any order. Those who score a perfect ten by visiting all the lighthouse attractions will receive an additional souvenir proclaiming that “they’ve seen the lights!” Organizers are also offering three bonus lights — Sandy Point Shoal (to be viewed off shore from one of Maryland’s most popular state parks), the Blackistone Lighthouse Replica at the site of Maryland’s birthplace, St. Clement’s Island, and Millers Island Lighthouse to be viewed from the Dock of the Bay Restaurant in Sparrows Point.

There will also be an add-on Bonus Cruise aboard Sawyer’s Charters, departing from Maryland’s Eastern Shore to see some of the Bay’s more elusive lighthouses, and an early bird special on Friday, Sept. 15, which includes all of the Eastern Shore attractions.

Lighthouses are an important aspect of our state’s maritime heritage and remain treasured keepsakes of a by-gone era. Participants will find these magnificent structures and the history surrounding them water’s edge at some of the most scenic destinations statewide.

The lighthouses that are included in the challenge are the Choptank River Replica, Concord Point, Cove Point, Drum Point, Fort Washington, Hooper Strait, Piney Point, Point Lookout, Seven Foot Knoll and the Lightship Chesapeake.

Instructions and detailed driving directions, one light to the next, are available at www. cheslights.org.

Girls on the Run opens registration

Program registration opens Aug. 12 for Girls on the Run, GOTR, at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary and William B. Wade Elementary in Waldorf. Registration is available at https://www.gotrsomd.org/programregistration. A lottery system is used where parents/ guardians register their girls from Aug. 12 to Aug. 31. If the site is full, a random lottery will be run on Sept. 1 to ensure all girls have an equal change at participating in the program. After Sept. 1, registration is on a first-come-first-served basis.

Registration for the GOTR 5K will open on Sept. 1. The inaugural 5K will be at Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Stadium at 9 a.m. Nov. 18. Register before Oct. 1 at the $20 early-bird rate.

New members for the GOTR Southern Maryland Board of Directors are needed. If interested, email emily.overman@girlsontherun.org.

Auxiliary seeks support for Wreaths Across America

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 82, La Plata, has joined with Wreaths Across America to honor veterans by placing wreaths on the graves of veterans. The project began in 1992 and has grown every year. The unit will sponsor wreath sales in the “3 for 2 program.” For every two wreaths sponsored, a third will be placed at the Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery.

The unit is seeking $15 donations for each wreath (one free for every two $15 donations). Checks can be made payable to Wreaths Across America, and can be mailed to: American Legion Post 82, P.O. Box 1035, La Plata, MD 20646, Attention: Linda Rollins. Donations may also be made at the legion booth at the Charles County Fair on Sept. 16.

The wreath-laying service at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery will be noon Saturday, Dec. 16. All are invited to attend and participate.

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)3 organization, meaning donations are tax deductible and qualify for matching gifts from many companies. For more information about the organization, go to www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.