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Crime Prevention Tips
Safety
Tips
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At Home
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Lock all doors and windows before leaving the house
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Do not display gifts where they can be seen from a window
or doorway
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Store gifts in a safe place before going on holiday vacations
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Before going out in the evening, turn on lights and a radio
so the house looks occupied
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If going on an extended vacation, get neighbors to watch your
house, shovel snow, pick up newspapers, and park their car in
the driveway from time to time
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Make sure items like VCRs, stereos, cameras, microwaves etc.
are marked with a unique identification number to help police
recover it in case of theft.
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Be wary of strangers coming to the door asking for charitable
donations. Ask for identification, if the donations are tax
deductible, and how the funds are going to be used. If you aren't
satisfies with the answer, to not contribute.
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Beware of package deliveries where the couriers have the wrong
address. Write down tag numbers of suspicious delivery attempts
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Prevent children not to play with tree lights and/or electric
connections
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Immediately after holidays, mark gifts with your license or
identification number.
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When Shopping
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Be careful of people loitering around parking garages, parking
lots, and out side of stores. Go the other way.
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Shop before dark if possible.
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Never park in an unlit lot, no matter how convenient it is.
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Lock doors and close windows even if planning to be gone for
only a few minutes
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Lock packages in trunk
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Park near street lights, and have keys in hand when you return
to your car
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Check interior of car before getting in, esp. back seats
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Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. If possible, carry checks,
credit cards and travelers checks
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Don't carry excess credit cards. Carry only those necessary
for the stores that you will shop on
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Keep credit card numbers recorded and keep this information
in a safe place
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Be extra careful of purses and wallets.
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Carry purse under arm and keep wallet in inside pockets, not
in back of trousers
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Teach children to go to a store clerk or security guard if
they get separated from you. They should never go into a parking
lot alone
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At
Work
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Lock up gift bought on lunch break and encourage co-workers
to do the same
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Be especially careful to keep purse/wallet with you at all
times or in a locked drawer or cabinet
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Be conscious of people who might try to reduce the work force
in order to burglarize your company
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If you see unauthorized people in places that they shouldn't
be, call security immediately
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Give a ride home to a co-worker who might have drunk too much
at a company Christmas party
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Most of all, don't let a co-workers holiday be ruined by crime.
If someone you know has been a victim of a crime, offer to help
them with their shopping and help them locate victim services.
Just listening can be a big help!
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Identity
Theft is the fastest-growing crime in America today, affecting
more than half a million new victim per year. Identity theft
or identity fraud is the taking of a person's identity
to:
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obtain credit and/or credit cards
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steal money from a victim's accounts
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apply for loans
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file bankruptcy
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establish accounts with utility companies
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rent apartments
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obtain a job
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Thousand of dollars can be lost without the victim knowing about
it- sometimes for even months up to years
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Preventing
Identity Theft
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Pay attention to your billing cycles. A missing credit card
bill could mean that an identity theft has taken over your credit
card account, and has changed your billing address.
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Cancel all credit cards that have not been used within a period
of 6 months. Open credit is a prime target.
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Order a credit report at least every 6 months
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Reports should be obtained from all 3 major credit report
sources.
You can contact:
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Correct mistakes on your credit report in writing. Send the
letters return receipt requested
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Identify the problems item by item and send it with a copy
of you credit reporting agency
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You should hear from the agency within 30 working days
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How Identity Thieves Work
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The thief obtains your date of birth, social security number,
and other identifying information like your address and phone
number. With this information and fake driver's license, they
can apply in person or by mail for instant credit by posing
as you. They often claim that they have moved and provide their
own address. Once their first account is open, they can continue
to add to their own creditability.
Crime
Prevention Tips continued...
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