Attorney General Lisa Madigan today reported Illinois residents are being targeted by phone scammers who pose as representatives of Microsoft or related technology support service providers, claiming to have detected viruses or malware on targets' computers to trick them into providing remote computer access or convincing targets to pay for unnecessary software fixes. Madigan's office has received several complaints from Central Illinois residents who have received these calls.

As part of this scam, cybercriminals use publicly available phone directories to ascertain computer users' names and other personal information when they call, according to Microsoft. The scammers might even guess what operating system users have on their computers. Once the scammers gain the target's trust, they typically ask for a user name and password or ask the target to install software that will let them access the target computer to "fix" the supposed problem. But instead of providing any service, they trick the target into installing malware that could steal sensitive data.

"If you receive a call like this, hang up the phone immediately," Attorney General Madigan said. "Legitimate companies will not initiate a call to you and ask you for personal information. This is an outright scam."

Madigan also offered the following tips to avoid falling victim to this scam:

• Never give your password out on the phone, and never provide your credit card or financial information to someone who calls and claims to be from a technical support service.
• Do not expect caller ID will verify a legitimate caller. Scammers "spoof" phone numbers, meaning they use technology to appear to be calling from a legitimate source.
• If a caller pressures you to buy software or requests any other upfront payment, immediately hang up. If you're worried about your computer's security, call your security software company directly for more information.

• Put your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry, and report illegal calls made to your phone number.

• If you think you might have been a victim of this scam, Attorney General Madigan suggested Illinois residents:

• Update or download legitimate security software applications to scan your computer. Delete anything identified as a problem.

• Change your passwords.

• If you paid for bogus services with a credit card, call your credit card provider using the toll-free number on the back of your card and report the unauthorized charges.

• Review your banking statements for other unauthorized charges.

• Call Attorney General Madigan's Identity Theft Hotline (1-866-999-5630), which is staffed by a team of experts who provide one-on-one assistance to help consumers report identity thefts to law enforcement and financial institutions, repair their credit, and prevent future problems.

Every Sunday afternoon this September, the Sunday Play Spot will transform one block of Lincoln Avenue, from School to Roscoe, into Lakeview's pop-up plaza! From noon to 4pm, stop by the Sunday Play Spot to enjoy free playful activities for kids and adults alike, or relax outside and have a picnic. Stay tuned to http://www.sundayplayspot.com for more information about weekly programming. Sunday Play Spot is organized by the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce in partnership with SSA 27, 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar, and local businesses and institutions.

Job Openings at Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

See positions for Environmental Research Scientists and other postings at https://www.districtjobs.org/JobListings.aspx 

• Water - Give your pets plenty of fresh, clean water.  Animals can get dehydrated very quickly especially in the heat.
• Shade - Make sure your pet has a place to go to get out of the sun.  Try to keep them indoors during extreme heat.
• Rest - Do not over-exercise your animal in the heat.  On a sweltering day, the best time to exercise your pet is in the early morning or late evening.
• Watch - Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle.  In extreme heat, the temperature can rise in your vehicle very quickly.  This can leave your pet vulnerable to heat stroke, which can onset very quickly.

Amundsen High School

It's Not Too Late to Apply for the IB Programme at Amundsen High School

Did you know that the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme at Amundsen High School is among the top-performing in the City? There are still a few seats available in the selective enrollment Amundsen IB Programme, and it's not too late to apply for Fall 2014. Contact Mr. Erik Olson at ejolson@cps.edu or (773) 534-2569 for application details.

In addition to its high-performing IB Diploma Programme, Amundsen also offers Honors, Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit courses and the AVID program as part of its rigorous college preparatory curriculum. Amundsen High School, the anchor of beautiful Winnemac Park, is the neighborhood high school for Lincoln Square, Northcenter, Ravenswood and surrounding communities.

Enroll now! Freshman Connection is scheduled for August 18 - 20, and class registration begins August 21. Call the school office at (773) 534-2320 for enrollment details and to schedule a school tour.

Lake View High School

Please join Alderman Pawar, new Lake View Principal Scott Grens and other neighbors on Saturday, August 23rd, 8:30am at Lake View High School for a building "Beautification Day". This is a completely voluntary day of sweat, investment, and fun as we build our legacy at Lake View. Staff members, students, community members, and alumni will organize in the auditorium. Come prepared to collectively accomplish a series of projects ranging from: painting areas of the building - exterior and interior, arranging the classroom learning environments to best meet student needs, and various landscaping opportunities.

North Park Elementary School

North Park Elementary School is accepting applications for the 2014-2015 school year. As a private, non-sectarian, coed school located at 2017 W. Montrose for children in Pre-K-8th grade, NPES has a proven record of academic excellence.  With one class per grade and an average of 20 students per class, every student is well-known, and receives individual attention from classroom teachers.  To learn more, email  npesadmissions@npeschool.org or visit www.npeschool.org 

Pilgrim Lutheran School

Pilgrim Lutheran has openings, this coming [2014 - 2015] academic year for the Kindergarten through 7th grades.

Details of Pilgrim's quality and standards are on the website.

• http://www.pilgrimchurchandschool.org/enrollment/faqs 

If you are aware of families or individuals who may be interested, please pass this message forward.

Contact:

Principal: Chris Comella

773.477.4824

 Comella.pilgrim@gmail.com 

Upcoming dates: August 15 and September 19 from 3-5pm

If you know anyone who needs assistance, please pass this along.

 http://chicagokidicalmass.org  

Sulzer needs your old games.  Thanks to our neighbors who have donated games for the Sulzer's Game Night!  If you have games that your family no longer uses, please bring them to the 47th Ward Office or to Sulzer Library. Their ever-popular "Game Night" could use a few more board games like Sorry, Chess, Life, Uno, Jenga, Rummy Cube, etc.    

Needed! Old towels and blankets, please. The dogs and cats awaiting forever homes at Animal Care & Control need your old towels and blankets.  Please clean out your linen closets and bring the items to the Alderman's office Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. We know they will be greatly appreciated.

LV2 Notes - Remember to check the schedule at www.cubs.com since game dates and times are subject to change. Please note that a night game has been scheduled for September 18th, which was not on the original schedule.

Ravenswood School Outdoor Project

The crews are working hard to finish the playground construction before school starts on Sept. 2.  The entire project is expected to be completed by mid- to late-September.  To learn more about this project, please click here.   

McPherson School Outdoor Project

Work has begun and is expected to last through the end of September.  The school will be managing drop offs and pick ups during the construction. 

Lawrence Avenue Streetscape 

• Street paving between Western and Ravenswood will be completed next week.  The crews have been putting the finishing touches on milling the top layer of asphalt and touching up around the structures.  Temporary striping will be added right after the new asphalt is laid down and permanent striping will occur soon after.  Crosswalks along this stretch are also expected to be completed next week.  The stretch between Ravenswood and Clark will be paved in mid- to late-October.  As always, pay close attention to parking restrictions.

• New pedestrian refuge islands (including ADA compliant ramps) were installed between Damen and Clark and center turn lanes were striped earlier this summer

• Sidewalk and curb/gutter replacement between Damen and Clark along the north side of Lawrence has been completed.  This work will continue along the south side of the street through the end of August, but the main walk has already been completed.  Sidewalk improvements will be completed in front of McPherson Elementary before school starts on Sept. 2.

• Sidewalk, driveway, curb/gutter, and ramp work will continue along various stretches of the corridor. ADA ramps will be installed to line up with the street crossings at the pedestrian islands.

• Bike racks are expected to be installed in late August and benches and chairs are scheduled to be installed in early September.

• Sewer and electrical work has started and new street light poles are being installed along the entire corridor.  Old poles are also being removed.

• The remaining plantings between Western and Damen (including Claremont Plaza) are expected to be performed in late August.   Any remaining landscaping work (from Damen to Clark) will be finished up next spring. 

Water Main Replacement for Warner between Leavitt and Damen

Contractors working with the Dept. of Water Management are replacing the water main from 1891 under Warner from Leavitt to Damen.  The surface has been filled with concrete.  Next will be landscape restoration and asphalt resurfacing.  For more information, please click here.   

Water Main Replacement on the 3500 of Leavitt and Hamilton

Contractors working with the Department of Water Management are working to replace the 1891 mains under Leavitt from Addison to Belmont, Hamilton from Addison to School.  For full information on this project, please click here.    

Water Mains Coming Soon:

Berteau (Bell to Damen): TBD

Ashland (Irving to Lawrence): Starting soon.  Watch for an email with more information.   

• Leland Ave Full Closure will be up until Fall 2014.  
• Ravenswood from Lawrence to Leland Ave Full Closure will be up until Fall 2014 on the west side of Ravenswood.
• Ravenswood (east side) between Ainslie and Winnemac blockades may be in place on the street to make room for the work to be done however there is not a parking restriction when workers are not present.
• Ravenswood (west side) between Lawrence and Grace landscaping projects are underway along the base of the walls along the Metra tracks.  Short closures will be necessary to install the new plants, so pay attention to parking restriction signs.

For more information, visit the infrastructure section of our website or contact Jim Poole at jim@chicago47.org or 773-549-4462.  

   Click Here