Tips for Preventing Car Break-ins

Tips for Preventing Car Break-ins

Last week, a family friend from East Atlanta experienced a car break in.  They spoke about the violation they felt at seeing stuttered glass over the front seat of their car. While there is no way to completely prevent a car break-in, here are some tips you can use to help prevent one.  Enjoy this article by Joel Hilton from Top Ten Reviews.

1. Keep Things Out of Sight If you have any valuables, such as an iPod, purse or video camera, store it under the seat or in the glove compartment. Most of the time, thieves are just looking for a quick buck and if they see something they like, they’ll smash and grab. You’ll also want to put anything that looks like it could contain something valuable, such as a box or briefcase, in the trunk to prevent car break-ins

2. Get a Detachable Stereo Face A car thief won’t steal a stereo that he can’t use. Purchasing a car audio receiver a detachable front panel will make your stereo useless to any would-be crook. Criminals want things quick and easy, so a missing face plate may make them move on to the next car.

3. Keep Your Car Secure While this is a no-brainer, but many people don’t lock their car when they’re “just running into the store” or “they’ll only be a minute.” Don’t make the thief’s job any easier by handing him an open door.

4. Park it in a Public Location That sweet, little-known spot in the alley in the back may always be open, but it is also quite private which is perfect for any criminal.  If you are parking somewhere at night, park your vehicle near a light.  Criminals want quick and easy jobs, so they don’t want a lot of publicity or visibility.

5. Get an Alarm Most of the time when people think of alarms, they think of the one that accidentally goes off in the parking lot.  Take notice, there are no car thieves around that noisy car. These types of criminals will avoid cars if they can see that it is alarmed. Some companies even manufacturer inexpensive products that only make it look like your car has an alarm, which also will help prevent car break-ins.

Follow these five tips and you have a better chance of avoiding the typical car break-ins.  To read more details, see the complete article at Five Tips to prevent car break-ins.  What tips would you share about preventing car break-ins?

Protecting Yourself Against Cell Phone Thefts

Protecting Yourself Against Cell Phone Thefts

Protecting Yourself Against Cell Phone Thefts

Did you know that several years ago, Atlanta was identified as the number one city in the country for cell phone thefts?  Recent local news articles have indicated cell phones thefts have increased.  MARTA riders are a particular target for cell phone thefts. 

Cell Phone Theft Problem

Because of the expense with new smart phones, cell phone thefts have become the fastest growing crime in the country.  Thieves sell the cell phones or rack up huge bills with international calls. Americans now spend $30 billion per year replacing lost or stolen phones.  We have virus protections for our desk top computers.  What happens when someone steals your cell phone and the personal information you have on it?

Here are 10 tips from Dumblittleman.com to help prevent you from becoming a victim of cell phone theft. 

Record your details

As soon as you get a new device, record all the details about it including phone number, IMEI, make, model, PIN or security code and any other numbers used to identify the phone. Store this information in a place away from the phone. Most phones have a very simple key-in method to retrieve IMEI/MEID numbers: enter a 5-digit string—*#06#—and the number will be displayed on your phone.

Register your phone with your network operator

Register your phone with your network provider.  If your phone is stolen, report the loss to them immediately. Using your registered IMEI number, they may be able to block your hand set and account details. Some wireless carriers are willing to do this, and some aren’t. If done, this will prevent anyone from using the phone across any network, even if the SIM card is changed.

Keep the phone in a safe place

There’s no place you could hide a phone that would be absolutely secure, some are better than others. Some places that are just too vulnerable are the outer pocket of a backpack, back pocket of jeans or a front pocket of a jacket. A better spot for the phone is inside a zippered compartment of your purse or an inside jacket pocket.

Lock your phone

Create a password for your phone.  Yes, this is an extra step for using your phone. If a thief does get your phone, it won’t do him any good if he can’t turn it on or access the information on your SIM card without a password.
Never let the phone out of your sight

Don’t put your cell phone down. Every week there are thefts involving people who left their phones on the table at a club or restaurant.  Why make life easy for crooks?

Be on your guard

Don’t be stupid—focus on your safety, not your phone. Be extra careful in crowded places like fast food places, nightclubs, which are havens for thieves because there are so many people in close quarters.

Use a Hands-free Unit

If all that’s visible to crooks is your headset, they have no idea where you’ve stashed your phone, or whether it’s even worth stealing. Yeah, you look like you’re talking to yourself, but isn’t that better than having your phone stolen?

Dump the ear buds

Everyone including thieves knows that the iPhone comes with white ear buds. To avoid telling the whole world that there’s an iPhone in your pocket, switch out the ear buds for a less recognizable set.

Install anti-theft software

Do an app search for “anti-theft” and you’re sure to find one.  Apple has an “Activation Lock” option for the iPhone to iOS 7. Samsung added a “kill switch” to its Galaxy SIV. The “LoJack” feature allows users to delete data from the device and prevent it from being rebooted if stolen.  Do a search for apps that can protect your phone. Install it on your phone.

File a police report

If your phone is stolen, file a police report immediately.  Also contact your network provider. The crook could be using it to place long distance calls all over the world that will turn up on your bill. The carrier may ask to see a police report, so be sure you get one.

Conclusion

Following the above tips will not absolutely protect your phone from thieves.  It will make it much harder.    Be safe and keep your cell phone safe!

Aug National Night Out Atlanta

Aug National Night Out Atlanta

Protection Concepts is in the business of providing home and commercial security.  We also recognize that neighborhoods play an essential role in make our world a safer place.  That is why Protection Concepts is such a strong supporter of National Night Out Atlanta. 

National Night Out Atlanta will be on Tuesday evening, August 5th.

The focus of National Night Out is on bringing neighbors and communities together, with festivals, block parties, cookouts, parades, and other similar events as common ways for communities to come together to promote safer communities.  These local meetings bring together police, emergency personnel and other crime prevention programs with local neighborhoods for the purpose of strengthening the local neighborhood and fighting crime.

National Night Out was initiated in 1984. This year it will involve over 37.8 million people and 16,124 communities from all fifty states, U.S. Territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide.  It is one way to send a message to the bad guys letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. 

According to Matt Peskin, the director of National Associations of Town Watches, “ It’s a wonderful opportunity for communities nationwide to promote police-community partnerships, crime prevention, and neighborhood camaraderie. While the one night is certainly not an answer to crime, drugs and violence, National Night Out represents the kind of spirit, energy and determination to help make neighborhoods a safer place year round. The night celebrates safety and crime prevention successes and works to expand and strengthen programs for the next 364 days.”

We invite you to participate in one of the many Atlanta neighborhood National Night Out events on August 5th.  It is another way you can make your home and neighborhood a safer place.

Winter Security Inside Your Atlanta Home

Winter Security Inside Your Atlanta Home

We are just past the one year anniversary of the infamous “Snowmageddon.” that completely paralyzed metro Atlanta. People were stranded in their cars for over 12 hours. While no such storms are predicted in the near future for Atlanta, we know there is plenty of winter left for 2015.

In the next two posts I will share some winter tips for security inside of your Atlanta home and outside your Atlanta home. Review this simple check list to make sure your winter systems are working properly in your home.

Winter Security Inside Your Atlanta Home

Carbon Monoxide Protector—have you check to see that this simple protection is working. Carbon monoxide is a silent, deadly killer, taking the lives of 1,000 people each year in the US. Make sure your protector is working properly.

Fire places—we love cozy fires in the winter time to take the chill out of the air. Practice good safety around your fire places. No gasoline or charcoal indoors. Have you had it checked for creosote buildup in your chimney?

Space heater—many families use space heaters as supplemental heat for certain rooms. Make sure these heaters are 3 feet away from flammable materials. Never leave your home without turning off these heaters. Every year we hear dozens of stories about home fires caused by space heaters.

Furnace—make sure your furnace is in good working condition. Change your filters and performed an annual maintenance on this vital winter system.

Frozen Pipes—can cause a mess in your home. If you have pipes on outer walls, you can cover them to prevent them from freezing. As part of our home protection system, we have waster/flood sensors that alert you went a water pipe has burst. There are also flood stop systems for water heaters.

Power Outages—are your prepared for a power outage like last year’s mega storm in Atlanta? People were without electricity fordays because an ice storm destroyed the power lines. Do you have the supplies you need in your home?

Conclusion

If you have lived in Atlanta, you know about the dangers of the winter season. It is not something to be fear. The winter season needs to be respected. By following the simple tips I have listed about, your home will be safer and more secure during the winter months. In the next post, I will share some tips about winter security outside your Atlanta home.

Two Tips for Online Credit Card Security

Two Tips for Online Credit Card Security

Two Tips for Online Credit Card Security …Maintaining electronic privacy requires more vigilance than with other areas of security in your life.The internet provides many options for purchasing products electronically, without setting foot out of your house or ever dealing face to face with another person. This kind of transaction can be dangerous to your privacy because they access your banking information. Anonymous transaction are the safest way to avoid this connection to your banking information.Here are two suggestions for anonymous transactions from www.howtovanish.com

Prepaid Debit Cards: Anonymous Enough For Electronic Privacy?

In reality, prepaid debt cards are not really anonymous card. They are subject to federal law which requires you to disclose your SSN and other personal information that identifies you in order to use the card. Using an anonymous card might be a short term alternative to securing banking privacy. It is likely that the personal information that is collected on you to comply with the law is only kept on file and not really used for any other purpose. Because there is no credit risk involved with using the cards, the companies maintaining them probably spend less time integrating the information they collect on prepaid debit cards with other databases. You may or may not even be able to transfer the card from the person who activated it to another person. Even if you do transfer the card to a person who did not provide their information for activation they will still be responsible for all transactions made with the card.

Even though not entirely anonymous, there are some benefits to using prepaid debit cards which include being able to withdraw money from ATM’s or any number of chain stores without an associated bank account and, most cards allow you to recharge the card with ease using cash. The cost to use these cards is less than the gift cards and the limits are usually quite a bit higher.

Gift Cards: A More Anonymous Card For Electronic Privacy

Gift cards offer far more anonymity than the prepaid debit cards because they can be used without disclosing any SSN. Although many terms of use say they require online registration of the card if you want to use them to make online purchases, the registration usually asks for a name and an address, not a SSN.  Gift cards can be paid for with cash at many locations like Rite Aid, 7 eleven or countless other stores. They also work as an anonymous card at most stores where a regular debit card is accepted, again, without a related bank account.

There are some significant downsides to using gift cards. One of the main ones is that they are usually limited to a maximum of $200. Some vendors will be willing to split the payment over several different cards at once, but some will not be willing to do this so if you want to buy a more expensive item you should verify this before hand. Although not very high for each gift card, the fee for the card can add up if you are buying a lot of them. Gift cards are usually limited for use within the country where it was purchased, meaning that if you want to buy something from another country, you are out of luck.

Conclusion

Maintaining privacy while shopping online is not a difficult task but requires a few steps of preparation, before you can take full advantage of it. Getting an anonymous card is well worth it.

Year End Holiday Safety

Year End Holiday Safety

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. You made it through the holidays.  To make a complete and safe holiday season, there are a few additional steps you should take for your family home. Follow these year end holiday safety tips.

Year End Holiday Safety

Holiday decorations are temporary. Leaving them up on over the year maybe convenient but it can led to wiring that becomes weak. This can lead to electrical fires.

Live evergreen trees become dry and create a real fire hazard. Check with your local city to see how and when you can dispose oerecycle the tree in a safe manner.

Pulling out electrical cord by the cord can cause en electrical shock. Pull the cord by the gripping section close to the outlet.

As you take down electrical decorations, check for frayed cords. Discard any cords that have the potential for not working.

Label your decorations for inside and outside use.

Be sure to store your decorations in a dry place.

By following these Year End Holiday Safety Tips, you can keep your home safe during the year and safe for the next holiday season.  For more information on holiday safety, click on this website.  Feel free to add your own suggestions on year end holiday safety tips.  Thank you.