August 8, 2019 – Have you received a phone call recently from individuals claiming to be Social Security Administration? Callers claiming to have your social security account locked up may be trying to scam you into giving out your personal information. An article from AARP.org has some do’s and don’ts for you to consider.

Don’t
• Don’t call a phone number left on your voice mail by a robocaller. If you want to contact SSA, call the customer-service line at 800-772-1213.
• Don’t assume a call is legitimate because it appears to come from 800-772-1213. Scammers use “spoofing” technology to trick caller ID.
• Don’t give your Social Security number or other personal information to someone who contacts you by email. SSA never requests information that way.
• Don’t click links in purported SSA emails without checking them. Mouse over the link to reveal the actual destination address. The main part of the address should end with “.gov/” — including the forward slash. If there’s anything between .gov and the slash, it’s fake.

Do!
• Do hang up if someone calls you out of the blue and claims to be from SSA.
• Do be skeptical if a caller claims to be an “officer with the Inspector General of Social Security.” Scammers appropriate official-sounding and often actual government titles to make a ruse seem authentic.
• Do set up a My Social Security accountonline and check it on a monthly basis for signs of anything unusual, even if you have not yet started collecting benefits.
• Do install a robocall-blocking app on your smartphone, or sign up for a robocall-blocking service from your mobile network provider.

More Resources
• You can call Social Security’s customer service line at 800-772-1213 to confirm whether a communication purporting to be from SSA is real.
• If you get an impostor call or email, report it to SSA’s Office of the Inspector General, online or at 800-269-0271.
• If your Social Security number has been stolen, file an identify theft report with the Federal Trade Commission, which can help you develop a recovery plan.

To view the entire AARP article please click: https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/social-security.html

 Springerville, AZ., August 6, 2019 — For Immediate Release. The lighting-caused Bagnal Wildfire that was discovered Friday, July 26, 2019 burning on the Lakeside Ranger District of the Apache – Sitgreaves National Forests is now 100% contained. The Bagnal Wildfire burned 2240 acres of grass and ponderosa pine. Some interior smoke may still be possible.
The wildfire is located one mile southwest of Show Low and is bordered on the east by Forest Service road 135, on the north by FS 136 and west by FS 9819Y & FS 300 to the south.
Even though the Bagnal Fire is no longer increasing in size, Fire Managers will continue to monitor and patrol the Fire Area until the Fire is called “controlled and out.”
Interior smoke may still be possible due to the presence of heavy fuels and stump-holes. Because the Bagnal Wildfire has reached its preplanned perimeter, the Bagnal Wildfire presents no danger to any structure or any other infrastructure in the area.
Containment: 100% Contained
Current Size: 2240 acres
Predicted Smoke Impacts: Minimal interior smoke
Questions or concerns? Please contact Doreen.ethelbah-gatewood@usda,gov, 928-333-6263, or visit the ASNFs website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/asnfs or join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs or follow us on Twitter @A_SNFs
Fire restrictions: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is not currently on any fire restrictions. Visitors are reminded to be very careful with fire. Never leave a fire unattended.
Additional Information on wildfire and wildfire safety can be found at:
Northeastern Arizona Public Information System: https://311info.net/ or call 311 or 928.333.3412
Arizona Fire Restrictions: http://firerestrictions.us/az/
Fire Restrictions and Red Flag Alerts: http://wildlandfire.az.gov/
Wildfires Near Me: http://www.wildfiresnearme.wfmrda.com/

Springerville, AZ., August 5, 2019 — For Immediate Release. The lighting-caused Bagnal Wildfire was discovered Friday, July 26, 2019. It is burning on the Lakeside Ranger District of the Apache – Sitgreaves National Forests and has burned 2240 acres of grass and ponderosa pine. The wildfire is winding down with minimal smoke impacts and is now 80% contained.
The wildfire is located one mile southwest of Show Low and is bordered on the east by Forest Service road 135, on the north by FS 136 and west by FS 9819Y & FS 300 to the south.
The Bagnal Fire is no longer increasing in size. Fire Managers will continue to monitor and patrol the Fire area until the Fire is called controlled and out.
Because the Bagnal Wildfire has reached its preplanned perimeter, fire managers do not expect the duration of the fire last much longer. The predicted weather calls for precipitation and high humidity which will reduce any leftover interior fire behavior and smoke production. The Bagnal Wildfire presents no danger to any structure or any other infrastructure in the area.
• Containment: 80% Contained
• Current Size: 2240 acres
• Predicted Smoke Impacts: Minimal smoke
Questions or concerns? Please contact Doreen.ethelbah-gatewood@usda,gov, 928-333-6263, or visit the ASNFs website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/asnfs or join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs or follow us on Twitter @A_SNFs
Fire restrictions: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is not currently on any fire restrictions. Visitors are reminded to be very careful with fire. Never leave a fire unattended.
Additional Information on wildfire and wildfire safety can be found at:
o Northeastern Arizona Public Information System: https://311info.net/ or call 311 or 928.333.3412
o Arizona Fire Restrictions: http://firerestrictions.us/az/
o Fire Restrictions and Red Flag Alerts: http://wildlandfire.az.gov/
o Wildfires Near Me: http://www.wildfiresnearme.wfmrda.com/

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