News from afpop - Friday 15th of March 2024

Good afternoon to you all and welcome to the second Briefing of March, in a month where there will be three mailings rather than the usual two. March is the month where the Bombeiros and Câmaras start their campaigns for land clearance, ahead of the expected high temperatures. You will see more about this in the April edition of UPDATE and this year it’s probably even more important in the Algarve due to the water issues in the region. I also wanted to mention the fantastic work that Debby Burton and her ‘Alerta de Incêndio Florestal’  volunteers do to keep people aware of the fires and the needs of the Bombeiros. The Association has a charity shop on the outskirts of Silves and are desparate for volunteers to staff the shop and help support their work, so if you’re close enough to help and have some time to spare, please see their facebook page.
 
Unfortunately we have yet more information below about parasites trying to defraud us all by emptying our bank accounts and I reinforce our message about unsolicited or unexpected requests, by any means, for you to divulge any personal information, especially banking information, to any organisation that is asking you for it. You can always check with any entity that is genuinely contacting you about such matters and please don’t be scared into doing something you’ll regret just because it seems to be coming from an official source. If in ANY doubt, ASK!
 
Finally from me for this week and without stepping over any political line, after the elections last weekend we still don’t have a new government in Portugal. There are votes still to be counted from voters outside of Portugal and as you are probably aware there is no party with a clear majority, so it looks like there are still negotiations to be had before we know what the government is going to look like and at the moment António Costa is still the Prime Minister.
 
Without further ado, here is this week’s Briefing:
 
PJ alerts for “Vishing”
Most people have heard of phishing; vishing is a different attack that falls under the general phishing umbrella and shares the same goals. Vishers use voice messaging, fraudulent phone numbers, voice-altering software, text messages, and social engineering to trick users into divulging sensitive information.
According to PJ – Polícia Judiciária, several citizens have received telephone calls, in which they are informed through a recording in the English language, that it is a contact from the Judiciary Police and/or EUROPOL. In this recording, the citizen is advised to select one of the options to establish a conversation with an “Inspector”.
By activating this option, you are then “informed” that your bank account is being used in a fraudulent scheme and you are advised to transfer the respective balance to secure accounts, in order to prevent the appropriation of the amount by criminals.
If you receive a contact of this type, do not provide your personal data or follow the instructions received.
 
PJ advise that you note the contact number used and immediately contact your local PJ or any another police entity to report the situation.
 
Water issues Algarve
In our last Briefing we promised to give you more information about the water issues, regarding the serious drought in the Algarve.
 
There are already rules in place for the Algarve (Resolução de Concelho de Ministros 26-A 2024). In fact we know that some Members have already received communication about the rules for households from their local water department, however there are still some municipalities who have not yet informed their residents.

The following is expressly prohibited for households: 

Non-compliance is punishable by a fine of €400 to €4000.
The supervison of these rules will be carried out by the municipalities and other entities.
 
The municipalities appeal strongly to peoples conscience, to save as much water as possible. The drought in the Algarve is a serious issue affecting everyone.
 
The law also sets out rules for the tourism and agricultural sectors, companies, repairing breaks in water distribution networks and more.
 
If you have questions about these rules, please contact your local water department.
 
Nurses set strike for the 15^th of March
Nurses in both public and social sectors will be on strike from 08h00 to 24h00. Their call for better working conditions and fair pay will affect most people who have exams or appointments on that day, so please bear this in mind if you have appointments scheduled.
 
Rural Population Awareness
At the request of the Bombeiros, we inform Members that awareness-raising sessions are being held (conducted in the Portuguese language), which are aimed at the rural population and at which the Presidents of the Parish Councils, the ICNF and ASPAFLOBAL will be present. Doubts will be addressed regarding fire management in rural areas, the self-protection measures that the population should adopt in the event of a rural fire and what support is available for forestry and agriculture, among other subjects.
 
Awareness raising activities will take place on the following dates:

 
These presentations are open for anyone, regardless of where you live. The SAFE VILLAGE- SAFE PEOPLE brochure HERE has good advice in case of fire.
 
Estou Aqui wristbands
As the summer approaches and you may be expecting family members with children to visit, we remind Members of the Estou Aqui (I’m Here) wristbands which we first published an article about in our April UPDATE 2020 (page 14). These are identification wristbands for adults and children aged from 2 until 10 years of age. Wristbands may exceptionally be provided for children under 2 years of age if they are proven to be able to walk alone. The I'm Here Children Program has now been adapted and is available for children up to 15 years of age.
Registration is simple and is done online and wristbands can be collected from any PSP or GNR station once registered. “Estou Aqui” is a safety program and the wrist bands can be obtained free of charge. More information in English can be found here:
https://estouaqui.mai.gov.pt/Pages/VF_EN_Home.htm.

After 15 years of age the EAC bracelet will be expired, to continue to enjoy this type of security provided by the PSP you can sign up for the Estou Aqui Adultos (EAA) program.
 
AFPOP Presents …
The prostate presentations are now finished and we turn our attention to Mental Health, specifically the issues surrounding dementia. Our next presentations will be on 9^th of April in Lagos and 17^th of April in Tavira, with the Alzheimer’s Association and are entitled ‘Spotting the signs – Dispelling the myths’.

These sessions are not intended for people who are suffering or caring for sufferers of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, but for people who want to know what the warning signs of dementia might be and what might be done to promote mental wellbeing.
 
Places can be reserved by contacting Marisa on apoio@afpop.com
 
Annual General Meeting
The 36^th AGM will take place at the hotel Jardim do Vau on Saturday 23^rd of March. The AGM will begin at 10h00 and registration will open at 09h30. Voting slips and proxies for those not able to attend must be received in the afpop office by 17h00 on Thursday 21^st March and clearly marked ‘AGM voting slip’ on the outside of the envelope.
 
The AGM booklet and voting slips are available on the afpop website HERE. 
 
Satellite Offices
afpop staff will be on hand in the Satellite Offices again in March. If you need advice or assistance, wish to introduce a new Member to the Association, need to renew your subscription or just have a general query, please pass by and see us. We ask you to make an appointment and to inform us about your enquiry, so our staff can come prepared to assist you. Please contact the afpop office to make an appointment on 282 458 509 or info@afpop.com    
 
The next dates of the Satellites are: