Unfortunately, cheaper, older security motion detectors can’t distinguish between a 150 pound man and a squirrel or even some papers blowing around. This causes police and firefighters to respond to false alarms. False alarms caused by the elements or animals are common (in the millions each year) and occur with business as well as residential…
With the holiday season in full swing, this is a busy time for a lot of us with parties, gift buying and possibly even figuring out travel arrangements. With all there is to do, many of us will turn to online shopping to help beat the crowds, find deals and not have to worry about…
What kind of debit card do you have? The two types are direct debit cards and deferred debit cards. Direct debit Use of a PIN (personal identification number), which the bank issues or you choose. Card purchases require entering the PIN, and money is taken out of your checking account on the spot. PIN-based transactions…
If your tax refund doesn’t come, don’t be quick to blame the government. Tax refund fraud is very common. The IRS pays billions in fake refunds. One well-organized tax refund crime ring that spanned several years, and that involved stolen Social Security numbers and birthdates, scored well into the millions of dollars, costing the Treasury…
Burglars aren’t dumb: They’re apparently enlisting the help of accomplices to seek out homes that are easy targets, then marking them with stickers.The stickers are small and inconspicuous, placed on front doors, being missed by the actual residents. But in case the resident notices the sticker, the burglars are thinking ahead: The stickers say “24…
A homeowner’s video surveillance caught a 60-year-old man—a real estate agent—stealing women’s clothes from the house for sale while the owner and his wife were out of town. The homeowner presented police with the video, leading to the arrest of and burglary charge for Stephen Brumme. Brumme had arrived at the house in advance of…
Don’t wait until you’re locked out at night in the cold to contact a locksmith. Know ahead of time who you’d call, should you ever have a need for this kind of service. And keep that number in your phone, wallet, purse and car. First find their address on their ad or website. Try to…
Isis Mobile Wallet allows you to make purchases with your phone—a technology that just went live. Just wave your Isis-compatible smartphone at select cash registers to buy soda or taxi service, via Isis’s near-field communication technology. (iPhone compatibility with NFC will come later on.) Incentives Customers of Isis Mobile Wallet can use My Coke Rewards…
The 80-year-old spent $500,000 on his new girlfriend—whom he’d never met. The online romance began with an e-mail (from supposedly a dating service) from a young nurse in Ghana who said she would take care of him. Then requests for money followed. The man’s son believed that the “nurse” was likely a male con artist.…
Ever thought of who’d get your assets should you meet an untimely death, or even if you’re 99 and sensing that the time to check out is very soon? You may know whom you want to receive your assets, but do you know for sure that they actually will? After all, policyholders are not required…
