[REDCART]

There's an email making the rounds that I believe contains excellent advice:

With all the new electronic technology - this experience gives all of us something to think about.
• GPS

A couple of weeks ago a friend told me that someone she knew 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
• a GPS 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.

1. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house.
2. They then used the Garage Remote Control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house.
3. 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.
4. 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.

• MOBILE PHONES
I never thought of this.......

This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile 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 husband from a Pay Phone telling him what had happened, he said 'I received your text asking about our Pin Number and I've replied a little while ago.'
• When they rushed down to the Bank, their money was already withdrawn.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 Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their Bank Account.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:
• 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....
• And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.

Also, when you're being text by friends or family to meet them
somewhere, be sure to call them 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.

[Mudder]

thanks for that info. Good to constantly refresh our minds on those things !

[2BNTV]

Good info. I remove all references to all affiliations in my contact list.

When I start to use my GPS, I will not have the home function programmed. I I do live in a condo and will have to guess what unit it is. I don't want anyone to be that close to knowing.

Very sad that we live in a world that some people have time and inclination to think of how to take other people's money and possessions.

Years ago in New York, somone noticed a moving van pull up to a house and she was wondering why her neighbor didn't say anything about moving. The neighbor was totally shocked to come home and not find a stick of furniture in her house.

Great reminder to always be careful.

[swrinfla]

And doesn't all this sort of thing make you absolutely sick????????????

It sure does me!

A few years ago, the coordinator for my class' 50th anniversary prep school's reunion weekend asked everyone to discuss what the biggest change had been in the 50 years since graduation. Virtually everyone answered "Technology."

Too, too bad that the "black hats" are ever more adept at doing the wrong thing, scamming all they can!

Frankly, I am sometimes very glad that it's unlikely that I'll be around in the next 10-20 years to witness the 'total' degradation of our society!

SWR

[KayakerNC]

Originally Posted by 2BNTV

Good info. I remove all references to all affiliations in my contact list.

When I start to use my GPS, I will not have the home function programmed. I I do live in a condo and will have to guess what unit it is. I don't want anyone to be that close to knowing.

Very sad that we live in a world that some people have time and inclination to think of how to take other people's money and possessions.

Great reminder to always be careful.

But, of course, you probably have multiple bills and documents in your glove box with your name and address on them.
And how would this 2008 email spam burgler know the house was empty?
http://www.snopes.com/crime/intent/gps.asp