Transcript: Health and Safety Podcast

Oct. 2, 2024

Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast. Coming up, learn about Influenza and COVID, stalking and sextortion scams. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.

Influenza, known as the flu, is a highly contagious infection of the breathing system (nose, throat and lungs) caused by flu viruses. Some people are at higher risk of serious flu complications, such as people 65 years and older, young children, and people with certain health conditions. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated against the flu every year, especially people who are at high risk. Learn more from our Health Department online at fairfaxcounty.gov/health/flu. Meanwhile, the updated COVID-19 vaccine for the 2024-2025 respiratory season is also recommended by the CDC. Getting this vaccine can decrease your chances of getting sick, protects you from getting very sick, and can lower your risk of having long-lasting symptoms. Everyone ages 6 months and older should get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. It's especially important for people at higher risk, like older adults, pregnant people, those with disabilities, and anyone with a weaker immune system. Again, the Health Department has more information; fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus.

Fairfax County's free alert system sends you important information during an emergency, helps you navigate your commute and shares community information. You can also customize your Fairfax Alerts to receive the information pertinent to you. Don't miss this important information! Sign for Fairfax Alerts at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts.

While every case is different, people who stalk can be unpredictable and very dangerous. Stalkers may threaten, attack, sexually assault, or even kill their victims. Unfortunately, there is no single psychological or behavioral profile that predicts what stalkers will or will not do. Stalkers’ behaviors can escalate from indirect ways of making contact, such as phone calls or texts, to more direct contact, like delivering unwanted gifts or showing up wherever you are. Many victims struggle with how to respond to their stalkers. While you cannot control the stalking behavior, you should feel empowered to take steps to keep yourself, your family, and your other loved ones safe. Follow these tips:

• Trust your instincts. Victims of stalking often feel pressured by friends or family to downplay the stalker’s behavior, but stalking poses a real threat of harm. Your fear is justified; and your safety is paramount.
• Change your safety plan as the stalking situation changes. Work with the advocates at the Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) to help develop this plan.
• Balance your need to live a normal life with your safety concerns. You are the expert on your life and circumstances.
• Cut off all communication with your stalker. Many stalkers think any contact—even negative contact—is encouragement. If you must communicate with your stalker because you share custody of children, talk with your advocate about how to safety plan with children.
• Vary your routine. Change routes from work, school, the gym, grocery store, the coffee shop, or any other place you go regularly.
• Keep a record or log of each contact with the stalker. Track every incident, including the date, time, what happened, and the names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Documentation is critical to understanding the scope of the situation and may be necessary if you decide to get a protective order or press charges.
• Save evidence when possible. Stalkers often use technology to contact their victims. Save all emails, text messages, photos, and social media posts as evidence of the stalking behavior. You may also want to consider how to use your technology and your devices in a safer manner. For more information, visit the National Network to End Domestic Violence Safety Net Project’s Tech Safety Site.

If you or someone you know is experiencing interpersonal violence, call the Domestic and Sexual Violence 24-Hour Hotline at 703-360-7273 for resources and support. If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

Sextortion scams involve sending threatening messages, claiming to have gained access to your computer or devices and accusing you of inappropriate online activity. The scammers threaten to share compromising videos and screenshots with your contacts unless you pay financially. At times, downloaded photographs of the victim’s home are used to intimidate the victim. These photographs are usually found online.

• Avoid sharing sensitive information, such as explicit photos or personal details, with anyone online. Always think twice before sending anything that could be used against you.
• Be extremely cautious about sending money, including Bitcoin, to anyone you don’t know personally. Scammers often request payment in cryptocurrency due to its anonymity.
• Adjust the privacy settings on your social media accounts and online platforms. Limit who can see your posts and profiles, and only accept friend requests from people you know.
• Be wary of unsolicited messages or friend requests from unknown users. Scammers often pose as someone else to gain your trust before attempting to extort you.
• Stay informed about the tactics used by scammers and share this knowledge with friends and family. Awareness is key to prevention in the fight against sextortion.

If you suspect a scam or have fallen victim to one in Fairfax County, report it to our police department’s Financial Crimes Unit online portal. If you are unable to file a report on the computer, call our non-emergency line at 703-691-2131 to have an officer assist you with making a FiCOR report.

Finally, get emergency preparedness information and emergency news by email. Sign up for email updates from the emergency information blog at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/blog.

That’s it for this edition of the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast, produced by the Fairfax County, Va., Government. Thanks for listening. Additional information about health and safety topics and emergency preparedness may be found on our emergency information blog at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/blog. Follow the Health and Safety podcast on soundcloud.com/fairfaxcounty and our podcasts webpage, fairfaxcounty.gov/podcasts. And remember, if you have a police, fire, or medical emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergency needs, call 703-691-2131.