[VillagesFlorida]

I received an e-mail alert today in our neighborhood newsletter. I think it is worth sharing so that we can all take appropriate precautions to prevent unauthorized entry into our homes. I am not promoting any of the suggestions in this alert. I just think we should all be aware of this problem. Here is the alert just as I copied and pasted it: "

Just to let you know, (name deleted) and I were in the study in the front of our home this morning at 8:27AM and our dogs started barking. (Name deleted) heard the garage door opening and went immediately to the door. When she opened the garage door, she saw a white pick up with lettering on it in the cul de sac going around the circle and as she walked toward the garage door the truck moved very fast to leave. She could only see that the truck had lettering on it but there was no equipment like lawn movers etc. that she could see.
I have reported this to Community Watch and also the non emergency number of the sheriffs office at 352-529-1682,
This is the second time our door has been opened in the past two weeks.
Please be on the lookout for a white pickup with lettering on the side of the truck and try to get the name of license plate.
Also please pass the word so anyone on our streets can be advised."

From another friend,

"Also, this happened back a month or so ago, there was a car riding around our streets with a garage door opener, seeing which ones opened, we got his plate # and reported it to the police, then one day a garage door was opened and the people were away, so we have started locking the garage from the key pad at night or away for an extended time.

Here are a few additional tips that we think are important for all to know:

1. Sumter Co Sheriff's Dept will send a deputy to your home to do a free safety home inspection. Call 352-689-4600 to schedule. It may take a while....We were on a waiting list for 2 months before the inspection.

2. One thing that the deputy suggested is to tie a knot in the cord of the manual opener on the garage door, so that it cannot be pulled out by a coat hanger and used to open the door even when the lock is on.

3. The manual for the garage door opener should have instructions for changing the pass code that triggers the door to open with the remotes. The instructions are pretty easy to follow. Pick a new unique code (e.g. don't select 1-2-3-4 or 7-7-7-7, etc.) If you don't have the manual, research online to find the correct one for the make & model of opener.

Let's all continue to keep eagle eyes and ears alert at all times and share info with everyone when something suspicious occurs!"

MY husband pulls the power cord on our garage door opener when we travel or are gone for any length of time.

[jsw14]

VillagesFlorida said>>>> MY husband pulls the power cord on our garage door opener when we travel or are gone for any length of time.

Very Good Idea VF.....Beware people, use common sence. Ooo, & don't let this post get to our goverment. God only know's if it dose........

[anlashokna]

You know I wonder if this could be an issue with vacation rentals..someone keeps a remote etc. But yeah...its always a good idea to reprogram your garage door opener if its preinstalled. We've never had an issue in the past but we've installed our own door openers.

Pulling the cord while gone...smart I don't know about houses down there but ours has a back door into the garage that we block with a huge toolchest and lock the wheels. Gonna make a person work for it if they break in

I think these people are pretty gutsy though because in a retirement community usually people are home during the days. Unlike areas where you see people exodus to work every morning.

[Happinow]

Great info everyone! How scary to think someone else can open you garage door with another opener! I guess you can never be too safety conscious.

[RichieB]

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida

MY husband pulls the power cord on our garage door opener when we travel or are gone for any length of time.

As was previously described, people drive around with a remote, and hope for a "hit." With a 4-digit code, there are only so many codes that can be programmed, in this case 10,000. People drive around and do the same thing with cordless phones - same principle.

Good idea to pull the power cord on the GDO. Also, consider a timer/security system (X-10 is a popular manufacturer. You can time various lights and appliances to go on/off as you desire. It works through your house wiring. Putting one of the X-10 outlets on your GDO saves plugging and unplugging, and you can also program it to be off overnight.

[ajbrown]

When I was younger, I was lucky enough to be in charge of a network security team at an Internet company in Cambridge, MA. They opened my eyes in ways you cannot imagine in my years with them. They were very bright young people, if you played in network security, you would know their 'handles'. To be clear, they were white hats, they did not hack to break into things, they never did anything illegal, they enjoyed breaking what was assumed secure by experts.

When I see things like this garage door stuff, it reminds me of them, very smart people, sitting in a lab somewhere developing circuits or code to demonstrate that the people who promise they have taken care of our security cannot be trusted with blind faith. They did this for fun, the way others spend their time playing golf.

That said, most newer garage door openers have a rolling code technology which should prevent anyone from being able to guess your code. After knowing my old security team, I do not believe for a minute there is not someone in the world who is working on breaking the predictability in protocol that generates the next code.

When we first moved into our new home we did have an issue which took me a week to figure out. When I would open MY door my neighbors door would close and visa versa. Always a good idea to reset the code after moving in.

[Irishmen]

Thanks for the heads up.

[l2ridehd]

Another popular garage door scam is to make blocks out of a 4X4 that are about 8 inches long and cut at a 45 degree angle on one end. Paint them white so they are difficult to see. Go through a neighborhood and place one in the lower corner of every closed garage door so they are sitting on the angle cut leaning against the door. Put out about 50 of them and come back two hours later and you will find a dozen garage doors open. What happens is someone comes home and opens the garage door. The block falls over and under the door. When the person goes into the house and hits the button, the door starts to close and then opens. The person thinks they have closed the door, but it remains open. Thief comes back and cleans out the garage. Easy, simple, cheap, and impacts about 20% of the closed doors. They place them around 8:30 PM and return about 11:00 PM.

[RichieB]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Another popular garage door scam is to make blocks out of a 4X4 that are about 8 inches long and cut at a 45 degree angle on one end. Paint them white so they are difficult to see. Go through a neighborhood and place one in the lower corner of every closed garage door so they are sitting on the angle cut leaning against the door. Put out about 50 of them and come back two hours later and you will find a dozen garage doors open. What happens is someone comes home and opens the garage door. The block falls over and under the door. When the person goes into the house and hits the button, the door starts to close and then opens. The person thinks they have closed the door, but it remains open. Thief comes back and cleans out the garage. Easy, simple, cheap, and impacts about 20% of the closed doors. They place them around 8:30 PM and return about 11:00 PM.

Oooooo......that's interesting and creative. I guess I wouldn't make a good thief - I don't think like one.

I guess that makes it incumbent upon the homeowner to make sure that the garage door is fully closed, rather than assume that it is. We all know what happens when you "ass - u - me."

[keithwand]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Another popular garage door scam is to make blocks out of a 4X4 that are about 8 inches long and cut at a 45 degree angle on one end. Paint them white so they are difficult to see. Go through a neighborhood and place one in the lower corner of every closed garage door so they are sitting on the angle cut leaning against the door. Put out about 50 of them and come back two hours later and you will find a dozen garage doors open. What happens is someone comes home and opens the garage door. The block falls over and under the door. When the person goes into the house and hits the button, the door starts to close and then opens. The person thinks they have closed the door, but it remains open. Thief comes back and cleans out the garage. Easy, simple, cheap, and impacts about 20% of the closed doors. They place them around 8:30 PM and return about 11:00 PM.

Thanks for the instructions.
If we leave for any length of time (weeks/months) we slide the lock bar in the door itself and turn the lock switch at the opener to Lock.
We also lock our door to the garage at night.

[quirky3]

Another good idea is always to lock the door between the garage and your house, in case the garage door is opened unexpectedly.

[Mikeod]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Another popular garage door scam is to make blocks out of a 4X4 that are about 8 inches long and cut at a 45 degree angle on one end. Paint them white so they are difficult to see. Go through a neighborhood and place one in the lower corner of every closed garage door so they are sitting on the angle cut leaning against the door. Put out about 50 of them and come back two hours later and you will find a dozen garage doors open. What happens is someone comes home and opens the garage door. The block falls over and under the door. When the person goes into the house and hits the button, the door starts to close and then opens. The person thinks they have closed the door, but it remains open. Thief comes back and cleans out the garage. Easy, simple, cheap, and impacts about 20% of the closed doors. They place them around 8:30 PM and return about 11:00 PM.

That's why we stand there and watch the door go all the way down and stay there when we shut it at night. Also, when we leave in the car, we make sure the door goes all the way and stays. We sometimes encounter a situation at certain times of the year when the sun is just in the right/wrong position and blinds the sensor at the base preventing the door from closing. We have to shade the sensor from outside and close the door.

[pooh]

One more thing to consider....your neighbor's garage door opener could just be opening your garage. I've seen it happen a few times. Mike's Mom has had this happen to her three times now. The last two times involved her house and the house next door, then it was her opener and the garage door of a nearby neighbor. Seems to be only one particular remote at her end, not sure about the neighbors.

There may indeed be individuals seeking to gather codes to various garages, seems to be something that happens and it isn't unique to TV.

[cappyjon431]

Not to stray too far off topic, but one of my neighbors' garage door openers triggers my car alarm. It's getting old, I probably should have my car alarm disconnected.

[graciegirl]

We personally haven't ever had this happen to us or to anyone we know, not to say that it isn't happening but it is good to hear from people that it happens to....Like Pooh's beautiful mom in law has had a neighbor open hers or vice versa.

So it might be happening, a lot or a little, but it could be happening in a way that is not harming folks too....and it could be that some snake is driving around doing this and stealing things...but I personally haven't heard about anything like that, but I have those danged rose colored glasses. As my friends and enemies too point out.

Where is Taj when you need her? Or Larry Wilson?

I am personally more concerned that some low life is after my golf clubs when we finish golf and park outside one of the country clubs. I am trying to figure out how to disguise them as fishing poles. Do people want to steal fishing poles????