NOT ALL THIEVES ARE STUPID!

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SOME GOOD ADVICE AS NOT ALL THIEVES ARE STUPID!!

1. Some people left their car in the long-term parking at San Jose
while away, and someone broke into the car. Using the information on
the car's registration in the glove compartment, they drove the car to
the people's home in Pebble Beach and robbed it. So I guess if we are
going to leave the car in long-term parking, we should NOT leave the
registration/insurance cards in it, nor your remote garage door opener.

This gives us something to think about with all our new electronic
technology.

2. GPS.

Someone had their car broken into while they were at a football game.
Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football
stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from
the car included a garage door remote control, some money and
aGPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard. When the
victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and
just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had
used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage
remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house.
The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what
time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time
they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought
a truck to empty the house of its contents.

Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address
in it... Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can
still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know
where you live if your GPS were stolen.

3. CELL PHONES

I never thought of this.......

This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her
cell phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained
her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. 20 minutes
later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had
happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin number
and I've replied a little while ago.' When they rushed down to the
bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn.
The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in
the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he
had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Moral of the lesson:

a. Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in
your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby,
Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc....

b. And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked
through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.

c. Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet
them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came
from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places
to meet 'family and friends' who text you.
 
I don't know the PIN for my wife's credit card, nor to mine. I certainly am not texting or emailing to no one. Wife included.

I've been tempted to get a second credit card, to have on hand in case my primary is stolen somehow. Never gotten around to it. With the cash back credit card I've all but forgotten the PIN on my debit card actually.

Scares me to think how much I used to use my debit card in the past (for all purchases). Used to be I only gave waiter/waitress my credit card (did not want debit out of my hands) now with so many ways to steal the numbers I don't use the debit for anything but ATM. Given how much I use the card I am starting to think about having multiple cards, and using cards for only certain things.

As for GPS, hmm, I thought my registration and insurance cards had that info on it. GPS would just make it easier to find my house, in case the guy lacked one of his own.
 
If planning a funeral have a trusted friend or semi-close family member watch the house. Burglars watch the obits and rob during services.

I'm nonspecific with google maps as to my starting address: they already know enough about me, don't need more.
 
Mostly useless advice. You can't make your life very complicated on the off chance that the same theft will happen.

You pretty much need to have insurance and registration information in your car. It's likely safer than than a woman's purse.

Similarly, having emergency contacts in a cell phone is more valuable than the cost of leaking information. If you are that paranoid, memorize all of the phone numbers you need.

The solution to the garage door remote issue is easy. We had two cars for one garage in a high crime area. For a time, an exposed GPS would last about a week before being stolen. One car got a battery powered keypad transmitter, the kind you mount outside. The extra time to enter the four digit combination was minimal. The other got built-in garage door opener -- a standard opener circuit board hidden in the dash operated by subtle push-button and powered by switched 12V, so it wouldn't work without the key in the ignition.
 
PIN number to what? the debit card to use at ATMs? if that's the case, I thought there's a limit to how much one can withdraw using a debit card - how did they withdraw ALL the money?
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
PIN number to what? the debit card to use at ATMs? if that's the case, I thought there's a limit to how much one can withdraw using a debit card - how did they withdraw ALL the money?


Bingo! Working in the industry, most DC have a limit of 500-100 on ATM withdrawals, unless the customer specifically asks for a higher limit. It's a preventative measure for situations like this.

On a sidenote, I would NEVER give my PIN to anyone, even family, via text. If it was truly needed, I would have them call me.

Better yet, no one knows my PIN and I'll keep it that way.
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
PIN number to what? the debit card to use at ATMs? if that's the case, I thought there's a limit to how much one can withdraw using a debit card - how did they withdraw ALL the money?

Low account balance?
 
Originally Posted By: Picky1


3. CELL PHONES

I never thought of this.......

This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her
cell phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained
her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. 20 minutes
later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had
happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin number
and I've replied a little while ago.' When they rushed down to the
bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn.
The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in
the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he
had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Not following this. A PIN to what? A debit card? If so, then all debit cards have daily withdrawal limits, so they could not have taken out all their money in 20 minutes, unless they had very little in there to begin with.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

Not following this. A PIN to what? A debit card? If so, then all debit cards have daily withdrawal limits, so they could not have taken out all their money in 20 minutes, unless they had very little in there to begin with


exactly my thoughts above
smile.gif


Originally Posted By: 97tbird
PIN number to what? the debit card to use at ATMs? if that's the case, I thought there's a limit to how much one can withdraw using a debit card - how did they withdraw ALL the money?
 
Sounds like internet legends to me.

Here is one that is fact. Google has the WEP/WPA key for every WIFI router in the world. OK maybe only 99.9%. Andoid phones back up everything to Google servers. Now Google does nothing we know of, but if asked nicely by the NSA might give it to them.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Sounds like internet legends to me.

Here is one that is fact. Google has the WEP/WPA key for every WIFI router in the world. OK maybe only 99.9%. Andoid phones back up everything to Google servers. Now Google does nothing we know of, but if asked nicely by the NSA might give it to them.


Only if you enable this feature does it do this. I have it enabled, if Google wants to drive to my house and logon to my Wi-Fi, they are welcome to.
 
The 'home' on my GPS is the local police station street address. My home address in the system is on a street that backs our property, but has no access to the driveway. We enter from other streets. The 911 system has the entry street information. This originally caused problems with UPS, FEDEX, and the One-Call people. Now they all seem to have work a rounds. The post office delivers mail to our home address at a mail box on our entry street. Once they got it in their sequence, it has been no problem for 20 years.

Our garage door operators are the size of my little finger. Mine is in my pocket. The other is in her purse. I hate clutter in my purse.
wink.gif
The operators can be locked-out by a button in the garage if we want. Our attached garage does not have an interior access door to the rest of the house.

My cell phone is locked. We are Neanderthals with regard to phone technology. We don't do banking etc over the phone. Or use HayPal, TweetBook, or any of that stuff. All my important/close contacts are by nick name. I use flattering names for those that don't have a handle from our youth.

My IDs, debit, professional creds, medical, smart key, cash are in a neck wallet.(Think dog tags) I have a throw-down wallet with picture ID from a federal agency, credit card, Cosco card, a little cash, etc in my back pocket. Nothing in my throw-down has any important information other than name and picture. Pocket keys I carry don't work in the car I drive.

All this and the various religious visitors seem to find us with ease.
 
When we were burgled in 2011, they took our phone book...

Sounds inconsequential, but try cancelling phones and cards without it.
 
I think the best thing most people can do is use some common sense. Thieves are highly opportunistic and go for the easiest targets. Simple things like not leaving money, electronics, and valuables visible in the car are enough to not be that desirable to a thief. My truck has been in a number of not so great places over the last decade, including neighborhoods featured on History channel's "Gangland" series, but as far as I know has never been broken into. Nothing has been taken at least. I don't store valuable tools in the truck, I don't leave the GPS in the windshield, I put things away. There is nothing to entice a thief to enter. On the other hand, my cousin's old Ranger was stolen from one of these same neighborhoods because it had about $3K in tools in it and visible. The truck was found way back in the woods by some off roaders days later...no tools. One of my former roommates also had a Ranger stolen, obviously parked at the same place as mine because we were roommates...the difference was his keys were in the freaking ignition unattended.
 
Quote:
Here is one that is fact. Google has the WEP/WPA key for every WIFI router in the world. OK maybe only 99.9%. Andoid phones back up everything to Google servers. Now Google does nothing we know of, but if asked nicely by the NSA might give it to them.
I understand WEP/WPA security is easy to hack but I was not aware that it was so easy as to do it on the fly instantly as the vehicle was driving by.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
but I was not aware that it was so easy as to do it on the fly instantly as the vehicle was driving by.

That's not what he meant.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Any idea as to what he meant then?

You have a router and an android phone. To connect to the router, you enter the network key on your android phone. The phone stores the key in its settings. When the settings are backed up, so is the key. The settings are backed up on Google's servers. Hence, Google now has the key.

At least that's what I think the OP meant. Maybe he can clarify.
 
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