Re: Increase Access to Child Care in Essex County
Wonderful! Here's the link to ACAP's Facebook post about the series https://www.facebook.com/631375050274188/photos/a.850996561645368/4569327419812245
Wonderful! Here's the link to ACAP's Facebook post about the series https://www.facebook.com/631375050274188/photos/a.850996561645368/4569327419812245
Please take a moment to help inform the strategic planning process for Essex County's farming and food system work. The surveys are tailored for three different Essex County audiences:
Farmers and farmland owners: the goal is to reach every farmer and farmland owner in the county. If you own farmland, even if you are not leasing to a farmer or farming yourself, your perspective is needed. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Start the survey here: https://forms.gle/dxpPyxWfz6mmde6b6
Restaurant, catering, and food service chefs, managers & owners: This survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Start the survey here: https://forms.gle/5D9RxK2LSN2cSWde6
Residents: All Essex County residents are invited to take the survey, including farmers, farmland owners and food service affiliates who also take the other surveys. This survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Start the survey here: https://forms.gle/P8HhERqLUD6maTjT6
If you are part of the food system and not included in the surveys above, for instance, a value-added producer, co-op or grocery affiliate: we would like to interview you. Please contact CCE Essex to set up a time.
Agriculture and the food system was one of the only growing sectors in the North Country economy over the past 10 years, according to the North Country Regional Economic Development Council 2018 report. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in local food production and awareness of the need for resilience in our food supply. Essex County’s last strategic plan for agriculture was written in 1997 and can be found at the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Essex County’s Farmland Protection page: http://essex.cce.cornell.edu/agriculture/farmland-protection
The strategic planning process is supported by a New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets farmland protection grant and by the Essex County Board of Supervisors. The process is a collaboration among various organizations, led by CCE Essex, Essex County Community Resources, and Adirondack Land Trust. If you have questions, comments, ideas, or would be interested in being interviewed, please contact Carly Summers, Cornell Cooperative Extension, at cfs82@cornell.edu or (518) 962-4810.
Essex Swcd
Adirondack Land Trust
Essex County Farm Bureau
The Hub on the Hill
Farmers and farmland owners: the goal is to reach every farmer and farmland owner in the county. If you own farmland, even if you are not leasing to a farmer or farming yourself, your perspective is needed. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Start the survey here: https://forms.gle/dxpPyxWfz6mmde6b6
Restaurant, catering, and food service chefs, managers & owners: This survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Start the survey here: https://forms.gle/5D9RxK2LSN2cSWde6
Residents: All Essex County residents are invited to take the survey, including farmers, farmland owners and food service affiliates who also take the other surveys. This survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Start the survey here: https://forms.gle/P8HhERqLUD6maTjT6
If you are part of the food system and not included in the surveys above, for instance, a value-added producer, co-op or grocery affiliate: we would like to interview you. Please contact CCE Essex to set up a time.
Agriculture and the food system was one of the only growing sectors in the North Country economy over the past 10 years, according to the North Country Regional Economic Development Council 2018 report. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in local food production and awareness of the need for resilience in our food supply. Essex County’s last strategic plan for agriculture was written in 1997 and can be found at the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Essex County’s Farmland Protection page: http://essex.cce.cornell.edu/agriculture/farmland-protection
The strategic planning process is supported by a New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets farmland protection grant and by the Essex County Board of Supervisors. The process is a collaboration among various organizations, led by CCE Essex, Essex County Community Resources, and Adirondack Land Trust. If you have questions, comments, ideas, or would be interested in being interviewed, please contact Carly Summers, Cornell Cooperative Extension, at cfs82@cornell.edu or (518) 962-4810.
Essex Swcd
Adirondack Land Trust
Essex County Farm Bureau
The Hub on the Hill
The Division of Local Government Services would like to make you aware of cybercriminal activities that we have become aware of in New York State. This article contains information on particular scams and how to report your concerns if you feel you have been targeted.
Scammers Renew Scheme Targeting Payroll and HR Professionals
Cybercriminals posing as company executives are emailing payroll and HR professionals to request lists of employees and their personal information. This time, the scammers are expanding their reach to other industries, including school districts, tribal organizations, and nonprofits.
These emails may appear legitimate because they contain the name of the company’s chief executive officer. However, if you receive such an email, don’t include any payroll data, such as W-2 forms and Social Security numbers, in a response.
The Tax Department is aware of at least 37 businesses with New York employees that have fallen for this scam and believes more than 5,000 Social Security numbers may have been compromised. The Tax Department is in contact with those businesses and is working with them to protect their employees.
If you’re an employer that has been a victim of this scam and, in response, released any payroll data, such as W-2 information and Social Security numbers, see NYS Department of Taxation and Finance webpage entitled Guidance for employers affected by a W-2 phishing scam for instructions.
Spear-Phishing Scheme Targeting Practitioners
This scheme is represent throughout the tax practitioner community. It’s committed by scammers who represent themselves as Fastsupport.com or Onlyforsupport.com. They’re contacting practitioners after they’ve identified which IRS-authorized e-file provider, or Electronic Return Originator, the practitioner uses to transmit returns.
The caller, falsely claiming to work on behalf of the ERO, suggests the need to reinstall or correct problems with the practitioner’s software. The caller asks the practitioner to connect to their website and provide the passcode and access to the practitioner’s computer. If the practitioner complies, the scam artist can steal sensitive client information to commit fraud.
An ERO is an e-file provider authorized by the IRS to submit tax returns for processing.
Cybercriminals Pose as Clients to Solicit Services from Tax Professionals
In a nationwide phishing scheme, scammers are targeting tax professionals to obtain their preparer information and prepare fraudulent returns. These scammers typically send tax professionals two emails: in the first, a “client” requests tax preparation assistance; in the second, the scammers provide a link or attach a PDF that contains a link that allows them to steal the tax preparer’s email address and password.
If you receive a suspicious email, such as one from am unknown sender, don’t select any links or open any attachments contained in the email. This is the scammer’s entry into your computer, exposing you to malware. This could allow the cybercriminal to capture sensitive information without you even knowing that you’ve been compromised.
Phishing Email with the Subject Line “Mails on Hold!” Targets Tax Professionals
Some tax professionals have received emails that appear to be from the IRS or the IRS e-Services team with the subject line “Mails on Hold!” These emails may include references to IRS personnel or PTINs, but they aren’t from the IRS.
If you receive an email with this subject line, don’t select any links or open any attachments contained in these emails. Again, this could provide access into your computer, exposing you to malware and leaving private information vulnerable.
Protecting Yourself and Your Clients
Tax professionals must protect their clients’ personal information by only providing it to trusted sources such as the IRS and the NYS Tax Department. This includes shredding documents containing private data before discarding, and filing a client’s tax return early to reduce the timeframe an identity thief would have to claim a fraudulent tax refund using their information.
The NYS Tax Department and the IRS will never make threats over the phone and will never request personal or financial information by email.
Report It
If you’ve been contacted by a scammer posing as an IRS agent, you must contact the IRS. Learn how to report the incident by visiting IRS webpage entitled IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance.
If you’ve been contacted by a con artist claiming to be from the New York State Tax Department, visit the Tax Department’s Report fraud, scams, and identity theft webpage to learn how to report it. The Tax Department promptly reviews each complaint and takes corrective action when appropriate.
Scammers Renew Scheme Targeting Payroll and HR Professionals
Cybercriminals posing as company executives are emailing payroll and HR professionals to request lists of employees and their personal information. This time, the scammers are expanding their reach to other industries, including school districts, tribal organizations, and nonprofits.
These emails may appear legitimate because they contain the name of the company’s chief executive officer. However, if you receive such an email, don’t include any payroll data, such as W-2 forms and Social Security numbers, in a response.
The Tax Department is aware of at least 37 businesses with New York employees that have fallen for this scam and believes more than 5,000 Social Security numbers may have been compromised. The Tax Department is in contact with those businesses and is working with them to protect their employees.
If you’re an employer that has been a victim of this scam and, in response, released any payroll data, such as W-2 information and Social Security numbers, see NYS Department of Taxation and Finance webpage entitled Guidance for employers affected by a W-2 phishing scam for instructions.
Spear-Phishing Scheme Targeting Practitioners
This scheme is represent throughout the tax practitioner community. It’s committed by scammers who represent themselves as Fastsupport.com or Onlyforsupport.com. They’re contacting practitioners after they’ve identified which IRS-authorized e-file provider, or Electronic Return Originator, the practitioner uses to transmit returns.
The caller, falsely claiming to work on behalf of the ERO, suggests the need to reinstall or correct problems with the practitioner’s software. The caller asks the practitioner to connect to their website and provide the passcode and access to the practitioner’s computer. If the practitioner complies, the scam artist can steal sensitive client information to commit fraud.
An ERO is an e-file provider authorized by the IRS to submit tax returns for processing.
Cybercriminals Pose as Clients to Solicit Services from Tax Professionals
In a nationwide phishing scheme, scammers are targeting tax professionals to obtain their preparer information and prepare fraudulent returns. These scammers typically send tax professionals two emails: in the first, a “client” requests tax preparation assistance; in the second, the scammers provide a link or attach a PDF that contains a link that allows them to steal the tax preparer’s email address and password.
If you receive a suspicious email, such as one from am unknown sender, don’t select any links or open any attachments contained in the email. This is the scammer’s entry into your computer, exposing you to malware. This could allow the cybercriminal to capture sensitive information without you even knowing that you’ve been compromised.
Phishing Email with the Subject Line “Mails on Hold!” Targets Tax Professionals
Some tax professionals have received emails that appear to be from the IRS or the IRS e-Services team with the subject line “Mails on Hold!” These emails may include references to IRS personnel or PTINs, but they aren’t from the IRS.
If you receive an email with this subject line, don’t select any links or open any attachments contained in these emails. Again, this could provide access into your computer, exposing you to malware and leaving private information vulnerable.
Protecting Yourself and Your Clients
Tax professionals must protect their clients’ personal information by only providing it to trusted sources such as the IRS and the NYS Tax Department. This includes shredding documents containing private data before discarding, and filing a client’s tax return early to reduce the timeframe an identity thief would have to claim a fraudulent tax refund using their information.
The NYS Tax Department and the IRS will never make threats over the phone and will never request personal or financial information by email.
Report It
If you’ve been contacted by a scammer posing as an IRS agent, you must contact the IRS. Learn how to report the incident by visiting IRS webpage entitled IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance.
If you’ve been contacted by a con artist claiming to be from the New York State Tax Department, visit the Tax Department’s Report fraud, scams, and identity theft webpage to learn how to report it. The Tax Department promptly reviews each complaint and takes corrective action when appropriate.
