10 Cheap Ways to Secure Your Home

  1. Consulting: Call a locksmith or a police officer for some basic tips on home security. Community programs in which law enforcement inspects a property is a cost-effective way to secure your home.
  2. Signage: Use “Beware of Dog” signs—one for the front door and one for the back door. And “This House is Alarmed” signs are excellent deterrents.
  3. Dogs: Dogs are a great form of home security…but they also can be expensive. Just buy the biggest dog food bowl possible—one bowl for the front porch and one for the back. Writing Killer on the bowl will give a burglar the impression that you have a big and vicious dog. You can even buy a barking dog alarm.
  4. Neighborhood watch: Have your neighbors keep a keen eye on your property when you are away, and do the same for them. Start a neighborhood watch program and set it up so everyone has a responsibility to watch one another’s properties.
  5. Lived-in look: Make your home seem occupied all day, every day. When you are away, put the stereo or TV on loud enough to hear from the immediate exterior. Buy inexpensive timers and plug all your lamps in.
  6. Outdoor motion sensors: Only 10-20 bucks. When someone is creeping and an exterior light goes on, they make a burglar think he’s being watched.
  7. Decent locks: Locks can be as cheap as 30 bucks. Beef up the strike plate by installing three-inch screws deep into the frame.
  8. Security bar: For short money, you can make a “security bar” with wood or pipe that wedges up under your doorknob.
  9. Screw your windows: Install small-angle brackets that prevent the windows from opening any more than five inches.

10. Install a bare-minimum home security system that includes daily alarm monitoring for short money. I use a home alarm too, and it is the best protection when you are sleeping or at work.

Robert Siciliano, personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com, discussing burglar-proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Resolve to Dissolve Credit Card Billing Errors

Like death and taxes, credit card disputes are inevitable. The good news is, whenever there is a credit card dispute that results from a billing error, the credit card company often takes the side of the cardholder until getting a counter argument from the merchant.

The better news is that all this is laid out in the Fair Credit Billing Act that went into effect in 1975. The law applies to “open end” credit accounts, like credit cards, and revolving charge accounts, like department store accounts.

The FCBA settlement procedures apply only to disputes about “billing errors.” For example:

  • Unauthorized charges. Federal law limits your responsibility for unauthorized charges to $50;
  • charges that list the wrong date or amount;
  • charges for goods and services you didn’t accept or that weren’t delivered as agreed;
  • math errors;
  • failure to post payments and other credits, like returns;
  • failure to send bills to your current address—assuming the creditor has your change of address, in writing, at least 20 days before the billing period ends; and
  • charges for which you ask for an explanation or written proof of purchase, along with a claimed error or request for clarification.

Your Rights

Nine out of 10 times, you should be able to pick up the phone or send an email to resolve any of the billing errors above and get everything squared away. However, some merchants recognize that the longer they dodge you and the more they avoid you, the more likely you are to give up. But hey, that’s your money! To take advantage of the law’s consumer protections, you must:

  • Write to the creditor at the address given for “billing inquiries,” not the address for sending your payments, and include your name, address, account number and a description of the billing error.
  • Send your letter so that it reaches the creditor within 60 days after the first bill with the error was mailed to you. It’s a good idea to send your letter by certified mail; ask for a return receipt so you have proof of what the creditor received. Include copies (not originals) of sales slips or other documents that support your position. Keep a copy of your dispute letter until you are satisfied with the resolution.

The creditor must acknowledge your complaint, in writing, within 30 days after receiving it, unless the problem has been resolved. The creditor must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles (but not more than 90 days) after getting your letter. Now, if things don’t work out the way you planned, there are lots more option to consider here. But if things begin to become very difficult, BillGuard can help you manage your dispute – for free!

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the FCBA for most creditors except banks. If you think a creditor has violated the FCBA, file a complaint with the FTC.

Reduce billing error disputes:

  • Always reconcile your bills diligently and on a timely basis.
  • Refute billing errors immediately—within one to two billing cycles.
  • Use a credit card instead of a debit card, as credit cards offer more consumer protection.
  • Be patient. And be nice when talking to customer support.
  • Use BillGuard to watch your back and help you resolve billing errors and unwanted charges.

Robert Siciliano is a personal security expert & advisor to BillGuard and is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video. Disclosures.

What is mCommerce and how do you keep transactions safe?

mCommerce (or M-commerce) is using a mobile phone to make purchases. Like credit card transactions, your card/device can be either present or not present. In other words, “present” might mean your mobile is equipped with an application that you use to make a purchase in person, such as to buy a cup of coffee or a train ticket. “Not present” could be when you use another application or your mobile browser to make a remote purchase over the Internet or another type of mobile network.

There are several different forms of mobile commerce:

Mobile shopping: You comparison shop or purchase something online using your mobile device (and its browser or a mobile app)

Mobile banking: You interact with your bank account (actions such as check the balance, transfer between accounts, make payments) using your mobile device

Mobile wallet (mobile payments): The mobile device itself is used to authorize payment (via a stored credit card)

Mobile point-of-sale (POS): Specialized card swiping attachments let your mobile device be used to collect payment from a credit card

All of these forms of mobile commerce require a wireless connection to the internet over Wi-Fi or your carrier’s 3/4G connection. Always use a like Hotspot Shield when engaging in mCommerce. Hotspot Shield, which is free to download, creates a virtual private network (VPN) between your laptop or iPhone and your Internetgateway. This impenetrable tunnel prevents snoopers, hackers and ISPs from viewing your web browsing activities, instant messages, downloads, credit card information or anything else you send over the network.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield VPN. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

Be Strong, Oklahoma. Be Strong.

At this point, everyone knows the Oklahoma City area was slammed by a massive tornado—maybe one of, if not the worst, in history. News reports say dozens of people were killed and hundreds of others injured. The catastrophic event demolished buildings to their foundations.

CNN reports, “Insurance claims will likely top $1 billion, Kelly Collins of the Oklahoma Insurance Commission told CNN. The cost would be higher than that from the May 3, 1999, tornado that hit the same area.”

Weather.com calls the twister an EF5, which means its winds topped over 200 MPH in spots. The Weather Channel’s survey shows the tornado’s path length to have been 17 miles long and up to 1.3 miles wide. Winds were estimated in some spots to be 200–210 MPH in the area with EF5 damage.

Acts of Mother Nature sometimes eclipse the devastation brought on by man. Some may say that man caused this disaster by initiating global warming. Nobody knows for sure, but one thing is certain: Those affected will bounce back.

Tragedy and adversity have a way of bringing out the best in people. I saw firsthand how people came together after 9/11 and then, more recently, in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings. What has been most significant to me is the outpouring of love and support through direct communications via Facebook, Twitter and in the donations to Boston’s OneFund and the American Red Cross for Oklahoma.

Be strong, Oklahoma. Or thoughts and donations are coming your way.

Robert Siciliano, personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com, discussing burglar-proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Craigslist Robbery By Appointment

It’s springtime. You put an ad on Craigslist to get rid of some things, clean out your garage and make a few bucks while you are at it. Maybe you have an old diamond ring to sell. Or that truck you are driving isn’t what it used to be, so you decide it’s time to sell. 
The ad goes out, people call and you make the appointments. But, unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned, do they?

The Spec reports, The odds of being physically harmed from using an online classified service are not high, but a blend of cybercrime and physical crime is common enough in the U.S. that one police force there has offered consumers the opportunity to conduct online transactions in person at their police station.

“People believe that because it’s there online, and that someone is reaching out, that it must be legitimate … There’s a reason your mom always told you not to talk to strangers.”

Use Craigslist with caution. Don’t think for one second you can’t be robbed, burglarized, scammed or killed. Some people’s homes have been invaded, and it can happen to you too. Be very careful who you contact; you never know who the person is or what his motivation may be.

Get identification details pre-meeting. Make sure to get the full contact details of the other person and call back to verify. A little white lie like, “My brother is a cop and will be here” will make the person you’re dealing think twice about harming you.

Meet at a public location. Coffee shops, malls, police stations—anywhere but your home that involves lots of other people. The more eyeballs, the better.

Trust your instincts. Don’t discount any weird feelings you might have about meeting with this person. If something seems wrong, then it IS wrong. Cancel if you don’t feel right about it.

Enlist a buddy. Strength in numbers makes predators think twice. Predators thrive on isolation. By pairing up, you reduce the chances of being attacked.

Be street smart. Expensive jewelry and provocative clothing can invite an attack. Scarves around your neck give attackers something to grab and choke you with. Wear sneakers that you can run and fight in.

Be on guard. Just like Mom said, there is risk in meeting strangers. Being on guard can keep you from getting into a compromised position.

Stay in communication. Let your spouse, friends, family or coworkers know where you are going, who you will be meeting and when you will be back. Stay in contact on your mobile while you are meeting.

Use your panic alarm. If you are crazy enough to meet the other party at your home, have someone stand guard at your home security alarm’s panic button to summon the police if things go wrong.

Robert Siciliano, personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com, discussing burglar-proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Security Benefits of EMV for Consumers

Major banks and retailers are now pushing very hard to make EMV the new standard in the United States. Visa announced plans “to accelerate the migration to contact chip and contactless EMV chip technology in the U.S. The adoption of dual-interface chip technology will help prepare the U.S. payment infrastructure for the arrival of Near Field Communication (NFC)-based mobile payments by building the necessary infrastructure to accept and process chip transactions.”

EMV, which stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, refers to the chip-and-PIN credit card technology commonly used in Europe and elsewhere around the world. Credit cards that incorporate an embedded microprocessor chip are far more secure than any other form of credit card currently available, including the standard magnetic striped cards that are all too easy to skim at ATMs and point-of-sale terminals.

Gemalto reports, “As the U.S. continues its implementation of EMV chip cards, it’s lucky to be able to look to other countries that have adopted the technology for best practices, lessons learned and future benefits. As a Gemalto employee based in the U.S., I’ve been eagerly watching to see how our neighbor to the north, Canada, is benefiting from their EMV chip implementation, which started in earnest in 2007.”

“EMV” refers to Europay, MasterCard, and Visa, three financial service corporations that collaborated to establish a global standard for secure, reliable, and consistent credit and debit card transactions. These cards are also called “chip and PIN” cards because they incorporate an embedded microprocessor chip and require a personal identification number for authentication.

JPMorgan Chase began issuing cards with embedded microprocessor chips last year in response to requests from cardholders who are frequent international travelers. And more major card issuers have followed suit by incorporating EMV technology. American Express has announced plans to release chip-based cards in the United States, as part of a “roadmap to advance EMV chip-based contact, contactless and mobile payment for all merchants, processors, and issuers.”Not surprisingly, as the rest of the world has migrated to EMV chip technology, some fraud has shifted over to the United States because of the ease with which fraudsters can duplicate magnetic stripe cards. As a result, the U.S. has carried a disproportionate percentage of global fraud losses—until now. Through our adoption of EMV chips, we’re anticipating a reduction in fraud loss like in Canada, the UK and the 80 other countries in various phases of migration.

Robert Siciliano, is a personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto and author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked! . Disclosures

How do I protect mobile devices while traveling?

Traveling for business or pleasure can be hectic, unnerving, and often draining. It’s not uncommon to hear somebody say, “I need a vacation”, after returning from their vacation. When traveling, the last thing you need to worry about is having your critical possessions ripped off.  So here are some things to consider:

Airplanes: Always keep your mobile device with you when you go to the bathroom or stretch your legs. Clip it to your belt or slip it into a pocket when you are napping. Never put it in the overhead compartment!

Rental Cars: My wife traveled to Spain, got off the plane, rented a car, and drove off the lot. At the first stop sign, a man knocked on her passenger window and pointed, saying, “tire, tire.” She put the car in park and walked over to the passenger side. The tire was fine and the man was gone. When she got back in the car, she discovered her purse had disappeared from the front seat. Her mobile phone, driver’s license, passport, cash, and credit cards were all gone. Keep your eyes open for scams and keep your device clipped to you at all times!

Hotel Rooms: Hotel rooms are never secure. I was recently traveling and entered my hotel room to find somebody else’s stuff, including their mobile, laid out on the dresser and bed. This has happened to me dozens of times. Sometimes the clerk assigns the same room to two people, or the keys work in multiple rooms.And ,of course, everyone on the staff has access.  It’s important to never, ever leave anything of value in your room, always engage the security lock on the door when inside, and take your mobile into the bathroom with you. If you go to the fitness center or restaurant, take your mobile with you or put it with other valuables in the safe (and don’t use a combination that’s easy to guess, like “1234”)!

Public Wi-Fi: Mobile devices are more secure on your carrier’s network than a Wi-Fi connection. But if you have to use Wi-Fi, consider using a personal VPN to tunnel through the public Wi-Fi and encrypt your connection. Cover all your bases by installing Hotspot Shield VPN. A free, ad-supported program, Hotspot Shield protects your entire web surfing session by securing your connection, no matter what kind of wireless you are using—whether you’re at home or in public, using wired or wireless Internet. Hotspot Shield does this by ensuring that all web transactions are secured through HTTPS. It also offers an iPhone and Android version.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield VPN. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

I’ll Have an App with That

Cash may be king—but not if you like free coffee and sandwiches from Starbucks. Today, if you want rewards, points, discounts or anything free, mobile payment is the way to go. My dad is a perfect example of how and why this is. Here’s a guy who held out on using a smartphone until 2013. For years, he’d pay cash for his Starbucks coffee and religiously hand over his card to the barista for another credit toward that next free cup. Then, the baristas started to veer to clients to using their Starbucks app, with promises of more discounts and free stuff. My dad got his first iPhone 5 and wonders how he survived without it. Once he downloaded his first mobile payment app, he realized how much “free” he was missing out on.

USA Today reports:

Starbucks is producing more than three million mobile payments per week. That, says [Starbucks CEO] Schultz, exceeds the combined mobile payments of the next 10 companies closest to Starbucks. “This will result in a much deeper experience with our customers,” he says.”

That experience IS people like my dad, who plans his trip to Starbucks to get free stuff.

For consumers, that will mean much more one-to-one marketing, says Schultz. That is, specific deals and promos could be specially targeted to individual consumers based on their buying habits. Sooner than later, Schultz projects, regular customers might not even have to belly-up to the bar to order. Rather, based on the information on a mobile phone app that they’re carrying, they could be “recognized” as being in the store—and baristas will have the option to start preparing their usual favorites, without them ever having to actually order.

Starbucks has cracked the code in the evolving mobile payment market, and others are quickly joining in. Head to your favorite app store and search for “mobile payment,” or see what your favorite e-tailer or retailer has to offer.

Robert Siciliano, is a personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto and author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked! . Disclosures

Why Your Employer Needs Social in the Workplace

Social media is the fifth form of mainstream media. It encompasses all media, making it the king of all media. At this point, most people know how to use social media and how to navigate the various websites. But many employers are still on the fence.

Hootsuites’ CEO says, “The world’s top brands—like Pepsi, Virgin, NHL and American Express—[are] now embracing [social media] company-wide.”

MarketingDonut reports, “One of the simplest ways to convince your boss that social media is the future is [by] showing how much profit [the company] can make. Show how your competitors are using social content to attract potential clients, showing the strengths and weaknesses of their campaigns. Use your website analytics to monitor the flow of visitors to your website from Facebook, Twitter or organically, and how many convert to leads or sales.”

And social isn’t just for business-to-consumer communications. It’s also great for connecting employees too. SHRM reports, “Social networking platforms may allow organizations to improve communication and productivity by disseminating information among different groups of employees in a more efficient manner, resulting in increased productivity.”

As you are setting up social media as an effective tool, you must consider the security implications.

  • Implement policies. Without some type of policy in place to regulate employee access and guidelines for appropriate behavior, social media could be problematic. Teach employees effective use by providing training on proper use—including, especially, what not do, too.
  • Limit social networks. In my own research, I’ve found 300-400 operable social networks serving numerous uses from music to movies, from friending to fornicating. Some are more or less appropriate and others even less secure.
  • Train IT personnel. Effective policies begin from the top down. Those responsible for managing technology need to be fully up to speed.
  • Maintain updated security. Whether you’re using hardware or software, anti-virus or critical security patches, make sure you are up to date.
  • Lock down settings. Most social networks have privacy settings that need to be administered to the highest level. Default settings generally leave the networks wide open for attack.
  • Register your company name and all your officers at every social media site. You can do this manually or by using a very cost-effective service called Knowem.com.

Robert Siciliano, is a personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto and author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked! . Disclosures

Beware of Unknown Credit Card Subscriptions

The sales industry is fascinating. When it’s done well, you receive great value and both parties leave the transaction feeling happy. But the tactics some merchants use are downright manipulative and often veer into illegal territory.

For example, you might see an infomercial on TV for vitamins. The ad targets the elderly and promises something that sounds like the fountain of youth. The commercial reminds viewers of how tired they are and how old they have become. You watch a sleazy sales show video of people running on the beach, flying a kite, drinking wine and dancing the jitterbug. And you can be just like them if you take this pill just three times a day!

The beauty of this special offer is that if you call in the next 10 minutes, you get not just one bottle of vitamins but also will get a second one for free—as long as you pay the shipping charges. But that’s not all! You also get this handy travel clock that displays the time on the ceiling! All with an amazing money-back guarantee.

I think you see where this is going.

But what they don’t explicitly bring to your attention is that once you make this purchase, you aren’t just buying one bottle and getting one bottle for free; you are actually signing up to buy three bottles a month and you’re going to be activated for a monthly membership to a wellness website. In total, your card will be charged $79.99 per month.

This can happen when you make purchases over the phone or online. In the process of checking out during an online transaction, you might check or need to uncheck a box in regard to an offer or discount. Either way, a few months later you start getting charged for services you never wanted or ordered.

Here’s how to not get sucked into unwanted subscriptions:

  • Know right now that there is no free lunch. Everything costs more than it appears.
  • You will not be happy taking a pill. Except for that time I went to Woodstock in the late‘80s…never mind.
  • Always reconcile your bills diligently and on a timely basis.
  • Refute unwanted subscriptions immediately—within one to two billing cycles.
  • Use a credit card instead of a debit card, as credit cards offer more consumer protection.
  • Ask lots of questions and read the fine print.
  • Do an online search for the name of the company/product,along with the word “scam,” and see what shows up.
  • Use BillGuard to watch your back and help you resolve unwanted charges.

Robert Siciliano is a personal security expert & advisor to BillGuard and is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video. Disclosures.