The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, Lynnwood Police Department, and Mountlake Terrace Police Department are sponsoring a Burglary Prevention Resource Fair on Saturday, May 5 between 10:00am and 1:00pm at Meadowdale High School, 6002 168th St SW, Lynnwood.
Property crime detectives will talk about how you can protect your home and family. You can talk about safety and prevention with local crime prevention officers. And vendors with be available to talk about specific crime prevention products.
This is a good way to learn how to not become a victim of crime.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
PUD- Energy- Saving Scams
The Snohomish County PUD has issued the following alert:
(M-F, 8am to 5:30pm)
Western Washington & outside Everett
http://www.snopud.com/AboutUs/scams.ashx?p=1786
The PUD reminds customers about potential scams that may be committed over the phone or by people visiting their home or business.
- New Postcard Scam (April 2012): Vendors are sending postcards that appear as if they are coming from the PUD ("personal information regarding your utility bills"), encouraging customers to attend a dinner where they can learn how to save "hundred to thousands" off their utility bills. The postcard uses a "sample" bill to indicate how much can be saved. This is some kind of national campaign that is not related in any way to Snohomish County PUD. Attached are images of the front and back of the postcard.
- If a customer receives a phone call asking for financial information, such as a credit card number to make a utility payment, he/she should never provide this information. The PUD never calls customers to collect credit card information over the phone. If customers aren’t sure if a call is from the PUD, he/she should call PUD Customer Service to verify the information given.
- If a person comes to a customer’s home or business claiming to be a PUD employee, the customer should ask to see the person's PUD identification. Employees carry an ID card with their picture on it and will gladly show it to customers. If customers believe they are the target of a potential scam, please call PUD Customer Service to report it.
- Be wary of offers from businesses promising huge savings on your energy bill, particularly if they reference what you paid on previous bills. The PUD does not share your account information with other organizations without your consent. If you have questions about an energy-efficiency offer, call PUD Customer Service.
Customer Service:
425-783-1000(M-F, 8am to 5:30pm)
Toll-free:
1-877-783-1000Western Washington & outside Everett
http://www.snopud.com/AboutUs/scams.ashx?p=1786
SPAM- Bogus Emails Sent to Postal Customers
The Postal Service has issued the following warning:
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/radDocs/consumer/SpamAlert.pdf
Some postal customers are receiving bogus e-mails about a package delivery or online postage
charges. The e-mails contain a link or attachment that, when opened, installs a malicious virus
that can steal personal information from your PC.
The e-mails claim to be from the U.S. Postal Service and contain fraudulent information about
an attempted or intercepted package delivery or online postage charges. You are instructed to
click on a link or open an attachment.
But Postal Inspectors warn: Do not click on the link or open the attachment!
Like most viruses sent by e-mail, clicking on the link or opening the attachment will activate a
virus that can steal information—such as your user name, password, and financial account
information.
What to do? Simply delete the message without taking any further action. The Postal Inspection
Service is working hard to resolve the issue and shut down the malicious program.
If you have questions about a delivery or wish to report spam, please call 1-800-ASK-USPS or
email spam@uspis.gov.https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/radDocs/consumer/SpamAlert.pdf
MAIL THEFT- A Way to Lose Your Identity
Criminals looking for cash, checks, and credit cards/credit card account numbers and social security numbers often will steal from mailboxes. This makes Mail Theft closely related to ID Theft. Mail thieves will use account numbers within 48 hours and often within 2-3 hours.
Preventing Mail Theft: The Post Office recommends the following to make it harder for thieves to steal your mail:
• Never send cash or coins in the mail.
• Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery, especially if you are expecting checks, credit cards, etc.
• If you will not be home when valuable items are expected, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail.
• Have your local post office hold your mail while you are on vacation.
• If you do not receive a check, food coupon or other valuable mail that you are expecting, contact the issuing agency immediately.
• Always deposit your mail in a Postal Service blue mail collection box or mail slot at your local post office or hand your mail to your letter carrier.
• Exchange work and vacation schedules with trusted friends and neighbors, so that you can watch each other's mailboxes (as well as homes).
• If you believe your mail has been stolen, report it immediately to the US Postal Inspection Service:
Have You Ordered Checks from Your Bank?
Now, many of us use bill pay services from our banks or financial institutions. But, we still may need checks for new accounts or to replace our supply of checks. Instead of having your new, blank checks mailed to your home, ask your bank to send them to your local branch where you can pick them up personally. Mail thieves love a package full of blank checks!
Mail Theft Techniques:
1. Mail thieves will follow letter carriers at a discrete distance, checking mailboxes for mail to steal.
2. Mail thieves will drive up to mailboxes, placing advertising flyers in them, and at the same time taking out checks, etc. They stay in their vehicles to make quick getaways if they have to.
Check Fraud: Check fraud, a form of ID Theft, can include:
• Forged signatures
• Forged endorsements
• Counterfeit checks
• Altered checks
Preventing Mail Theft: The Post Office recommends the following to make it harder for thieves to steal your mail:
• Never send cash or coins in the mail.
• Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after delivery, especially if you are expecting checks, credit cards, etc.
• If you will not be home when valuable items are expected, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail.
• Have your local post office hold your mail while you are on vacation.
• If you do not receive a check, food coupon or other valuable mail that you are expecting, contact the issuing agency immediately.
• Always deposit your mail in a Postal Service blue mail collection box or mail slot at your local post office or hand your mail to your letter carrier.
• Exchange work and vacation schedules with trusted friends and neighbors, so that you can watch each other's mailboxes (as well as homes).
• If you believe your mail has been stolen, report it immediately to the US Postal Inspection Service:
- http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov to file a mail theft complaint on-line
- or 877-876-2455 to file a mail theft complaint via telephone
Have You Ordered Checks from Your Bank?
Now, many of us use bill pay services from our banks or financial institutions. But, we still may need checks for new accounts or to replace our supply of checks. Instead of having your new, blank checks mailed to your home, ask your bank to send them to your local branch where you can pick them up personally. Mail thieves love a package full of blank checks!
Mail Theft Techniques:
1. Mail thieves will follow letter carriers at a discrete distance, checking mailboxes for mail to steal.
2. Mail thieves will drive up to mailboxes, placing advertising flyers in them, and at the same time taking out checks, etc. They stay in their vehicles to make quick getaways if they have to.
Check Fraud: Check fraud, a form of ID Theft, can include:
• Forged signatures
• Forged endorsements
• Counterfeit checks
• Altered checks
Saturday, April 21, 2012
BURGLARIES- More Prevention Tips
Burglaries have made the news since the fall of last year. The recent reports of burglars being shot and confronted by homeowners shows the increase in burglaries that local police agencies have talked about since late last year.
On Sunday, April 15, The Herald published this article with 20 burglary prevention tips:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120415/BLOG48/704159975
Some of the information may be familiar to regular readers of the Hot Sheet. But, it may bear reviewing and passing on to your neighbors.
On Sunday, April 15, The Herald published this article with 20 burglary prevention tips:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120415/BLOG48/704159975
Some of the information may be familiar to regular readers of the Hot Sheet. But, it may bear reviewing and passing on to your neighbors.
BURGLARY PREVENTION- Vehicle Registrations
On April 11, I posted an article about protecting your car registration from potential burglars (BURGLARIES- Burglars Finding Your Home Through Your Car Registration).
In its April 2012 issue, The Mill Creek View has published another way to protect your car registration suggested by the Mill Creek Police Department:
In its April 2012 issue, The Mill Creek View has published another way to protect your car registration suggested by the Mill Creek Police Department:
- Make a copy of your car registration. Place the original in a safe place such as a safe in your house or a safety deposit box.
- Black out the last name, street address, city, state and zip code. Leave at least your first name visible so than a police officer can compare it with the name on your driver's license. Make sure that no one can hold the copy up to the light and read the personal information.
- Also, leave the bar code on the top, the VIN number, and license plate number visible. As long as the bar code, VIN, and license number are visible then you have the legally required information that a police officer might need in a traffic stop.
No matter what you do, protecting the information on your car registration has become important to remove opportunity for a burglar or ID thief to make you a victim.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
GOLD CREEK/SILVER FIRS- Burglaries Galore
The Gold Creek Neighborhood Watch
reports at least three burglaries in the Gold Creek/Silver Firs area over the
last few days:
On Monday night, April 17, in
Silver Firs near 58th Dr SE and 147th St SE, someone
attempted to break into a home by kicking in the back door, while the resident
and her 3 small children were at home. She called 911 and deputies showed up
immediately, but they could not find the person or persons that had attempted
to break in to the home.
According to the deputies, there has
been a recent rash of burglaries in the Mill Creek, Snohomish and Everett
areas. This is the 3rd burglary or attempt in Silver Firs/Gold Creek in the
past few days.
A home in Gold Creek 1 was
burglarized on Sunday afternoon, April 15. This happened in the vicinity of
65th Ave SE and 154th St SE between 1:00pm and 3:30pm. Items were stolen from
the home. Another home was burglarized in Silver Firs a couple of days before,
which was followed by a large manhunt.
On a separate note, Friday evening,
April 13, two of the locking mail box units that service 24 homes were pull off
of their mounts, in Gold Creek.
NOTE: As I have reported over the
past few months, burglaries are up in South Snohomish County, and apparently
the burglars have migrated to our area. With the longer days of spring and
summer, we can expect more activity in the near future. This might be a good
time to review our burglary prevention practices.
Take a look at this tip sheet from
the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:
Also, if you haven’t had a chance,
it might be a good idea to do a home security self -inspection. Go to this link
for the National Sheriff’s Association’s home security checklist:
And, burglars often do their thing
when their victims are on vacation. Check out this vacation checklist for
simple and practical things you can do to prevent a burglary while you are
away:
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