Role Play Your Way to Personal Security

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Home security and home burglary protection is more than just installing a home security system. The best defense includes a great offense and a solid strategy incorporating a well thought out plan.

Outside of Detroit I worked with local law enforcement to conduct a security seminar at a credit union. This was no ordinary “How to Protect Yourself”, this was a mock robbery done as robbery response training. Best part, cops were the robbers.  And they were good, real good.  Five cops who have watched every cops and robber movie including “Dog Day Afternoon” with Al Pacino were tasked with numerous robber roles. Some as simple as strolling into the bank and passing notes all the way to jumping on the banks counters with assault rifles in masks and screaming profanities demanding the credit unions staff to hit the floor.

It was very realistic and some people cried. Pregnant staff wasn’t allowed to participate and many bowed out. This training was not for the faint of heart. Once the robbers left, the participants had to follow through with what the aftermath response would be and bring the event to a closure.

My role was to observe and when completed to rehash the event and elicit a response from each participant. The energy in the aftermath was a mix of excitement, confusion, fear and relief that it was over.  Everyone in attendance was affected by what they went through. Meaning they were emotionally moved by the process.

At the conclusion of the event the mood was gratitude and a sense of empowerment. People were grateful it wasn’t real, but empowered by the experience. Role playing as we did gave insight to what a real life robbery would look like and once the attendees understood the mechanics of it they felt they were better prepared to effectively respond in the event of a real robbery.

While a mock home invasion may not be on your list of “to-dos,” having a discussion with your fellow dwellers about their response should be. Asking “what if” questions and visualizing different scenarios is one step towards an effective response plan.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADTPulse on Fox News. Disclosures

Beware of Storm Related Scams

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The crazy (and deadly) weather has scammers and thieves coming out of the woodwork. Whether you have been directly affected by the tornados or not, scammers are preying upon people’s fears.

Beware and never open your door to strangers. Keep your home security system turned on during the day. And beware of phone calls from scammers too.

People dressed as FEMA workers or other officials may go to tornado victims’ homes or even those within 100 miles or more asking for personal information. Badges and uniforms can easily be purchased or created giving the false impression of a legitimate government agency.

Scammers tactics often involves acting as contractors (or even being sleazy contractors with trucks etc) going door to door selling their services pressuring people into writing checks for upfront fees. They may create the impression that if you don’t act now your insurance may not pay claims or you are in imminent danger of being sued because a railing is loose.

Sleazy contractor scammers will refuse to provide contact information or give false information. Many contractors such as carpenters, electricians, or plumbers doing major repair or renovations require licenses and permits.

Other contractors that may not need licenses are roofers, pavers, mold removal, foundation repair etc. Scammers often pose as these unlicensed contractors that scam the most.

Any time a door to door salesmen is offering construction related services be suspect.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing scammers and thieves on The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch. Disclosures.

 

Dumb Criminal Gets Caught Wearing Victims Clothes

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A traveler was in a bus station and put his bag down for 2 seconds to get some food and the bag disappeared.  He called the police and they made their way down to the bus station.

The victim lost a laptop, black and white motorcycle jacket and a black Kiss concert T-shirt.

Now if I was a thief, which I’m not, and I stole something, I wouldn’t hang around the crime scene. My thinking is that’s probably a good way to get nabbed. So anyway the cops came and investigated.

So what do they see? A person walking around wearing a black and white motorcycle jacket and a black Kiss concert T-shirt.

The rest of the bags contents including the laptop, was hidden across the street at a car dealership.

Bags are stolen all the time. Pocket books off the back of chairs, laptop bags sitting next to you in a café or airport, and briefcases in a business luncheon. The list goes on. We think we are safe because people are generally honest. However predators lurk amongst the honest people and snap up their belongings in an instant.

One way thieves steal bags is via a “distraction crime”. They see your bag sitting to your left and they distract you on your right as their accomplice takes your bag.

To protect yourself without having to stress out and stare at a bag all day consider a few things:

Whenever putting a bag down, put it between your feet. The chances of someone taking it diminish.

If you must put it on a chair wrap the bags strap around a chair arm or leg.

Purchase a ‘Bag Alarm” which is like a mini home security system that affixes to your bag and senses movement alerting you to potential theft.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston. Disclosures.

13 Year Old Busted In Home Invasion

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In California gang members are recruited in their tweens. Kids as young as 12 and 13 are on the streets and engaged in theft and violence like never before. Other big cities aren’t much different. In Boston, where I live, a few kids had passed through my yard and I informed them of what they were doing and my dog started barking. Immediately one pulled a knife out and started yelling profanities and threatened me and the dog!

I called the State Police and they came right down. The kids were 12, 13 and 14. Nothing surprises me anymore.

At the wee hours of the morning in Santa Rosa, CA, 4 residents were awoken to a kid coming through a window and then he opened the door for his accomplice. Obviously they negated a home security system. Immediately they pulled a gun and demanded cash. As it got intense one of the residents was pistol whipped.

Apparently the motivation of this encounter was due to a “disrespect issue”. Shortly after the incident the victims were treated and the home invaders were arrested. The 13 year old was already on probation for another incident.

While this situation ended without anyone getting killed and the little gangsters nabbed, it could have easily gone much worse. Regardless of the motivation of the home invaders, a home security alarm could have very well prevented this whole thing from happening.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Job Scams Up As Economy Downs

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If you are paying attention to the economists, we aren’t out of this just yet. High unemployment is keeping scammers employed by preying on the vulnerable. While burglaries are up, personal and home security goes beyond home alarm systems. It means scammers are coming from all directions.

In general, there are a few types of job related scams to be aware of. Rule of thumb is if it isn’t a job that you are familiar with or a service you have heard of, it is probably a scam. If it’s not a job you would see printed on a business card, it’s a scam.

“Work at home”, make $1000.00 a week, etc are mostly scams. This can be anything from assembling a product to stuffing envelopes to answering the phone. Most require some kind of initial investment, which should be a tip off. I’m told there are legitimate work at home opportunities out there, but I’ve never met one person who answered a classified ad and is working from home as a result.

While headhunters are real professionals, not all pay for placement services are legitimate. Head hunters generally charge the company for finding the employee and sometimes will charge the employee once hired. You should never pay an upfront fee to find a job.

Job lists being sold that promise a database or printout of employers looking for talent are attractive offers that often come with a full money back warranty. The problem is the lists are often spotty or even non-existent and the warranty is bogus as you will never get your money back.

Some job scams are designed simply to get your personal information including social security number and credit card numbers. Never provide your information over the phone or online. If they insist on a background check get one yourself and send it to them.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures.

Predators Using Social Media to Stalk Kids

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All the advice one hears when told how to keep your kids safe on the internet from your home computer goes out the window when a mobile phone and other portable devices are introduced into the child’s life.

The sage advice was to put a PC in the living room and monitor your kids activity. Today that becomes impossible when there are tablets, iPads, mobile phones, laptops, online games and webcams. All these technologies provide new opportunities for the bad guy.

Child predators are often those who gravitate towards trusted positions in society where they have direct access to kids. Others hang out in Internet chat rooms and slowly groom their victims. Now many of them are on hundreds of different social networks.

In 2010 the CyberTipline received more than 223,000 reports of nefarious online behavior.“The increase in the number of reports of child pornography and online sexual solicitation of children is alarming,” said Ernie Allen, President & CEO of NCMEC.  “The child pornography images we are receiving are becoming more violent and the victims much younger.  We are even seeing infants being sexually abused.”

With the openness of social media, predators know what a kid likes, doesn’t like, who their friends are, and often their phone numbers, where they live, go to school, sports teams they play on etc. The list goes on and on.

Many of today’s social media sites are also incorporating location based services which allow the user to broadcast their location via a Smartphone or their home. Pictures and status updates can be tagged with relatively accurate positions giving way to much information for the criminal.

MissingKids.com suggests Allowing kids to go online without supervision or ground rules is like allowing them to explore a major metropolitan area by themselves. The Internet, like a city, offers an enormous array of entertainment and educational resources but also presents some potential risks. Kids need help navigating this world.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Internet Predators on Fox Boston.

Don’t Forget About Garage Security

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When you think about home security you may not think about garage security because you don’t actually live it in. But a garage is often one of the best ways for the bad guy to break into your home, especially if it’s an attached garage.

Criminals scope out the exterior and seek the path of least resistance. If the garage has an entrance door and a garage door they will determine which is easiest to compromise.

An entrance door that has small windows is easily compromised when a little window near a door lock is smashed and the burglar reaches their hand through and opens the door.

Once they are in the garage they have access to the interior door which is often unlocked. I’ve seen footage of burglars breaking into a garage and using the homeowners own chainsaw to cut through a door or wall to gain access to the home. This method won’t trigger any interior door alarm sensors because the door is never opened.

Garage doors are easy to break into with a coat hanger as demonstrated in this video on YouTube. Another way would simply be to drill a hole thru the door and slide a coat hanger in pulling down on the emergency pull cord.

Both of these tactics can be remedied by installing a zip tie as demonstrated in this YouTube video.

In my garage my home security system includes a sensor on the door, so if the door is opened the alarm goes off. There is also a motion sensor in the garage so if all else fails the motion sensor picks up movement. And to document anything happening there is a home security camera connected to my ADT Pulse system.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADTPulse on Fox News.

Another Reason To Secure Your WiFi

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Sounds crazy but in every presentation I do I stress the importance of making sure your wireless connection is secured to prevent sex offender neighbors or whackos parked in front of your home or business from surfing for child porn and downloading it to your PC or theirs via your internet connection.

The AP reports in Buffalo NY “Lying on his family room floor with assault weapons trained on him, shouts of “pedophile!” and “pornographer!” stinging like his fresh cuts and bruises, the Buffalo homeowner didn’t need long to figure out the reason for the early morning wake-up call from a swarm of federal agents.”

Guys wireless got jacked by a child pornographer.

Once a predator uses your Internet connection to go to into the bowels of the web, your Internet Protocol (IP) address, which is connected to your ISP billing address, is now considered one that is owned by a criminal. If law enforcement happens to be chatting with that person, who’s using your Internet connection to trade lurid child porn, then someone may eventually knock on your door at 3 AM with a battering ram. Hackers can use a virus to crack your network and gain remote control access, and then store child porn on your hard drive.

This is the kind of “breach” that can cost you thousands in legal fees, your marriage, relationships, your job, and your standing in society.

Anyone using an open unsecured network risks exposing their data or having it used as a portal for committing crimes over the web. There are many ways  for a bad guy to see who’s connected on wireless and to gain access to their information.

When setting up a wireless router, there are two suggested security protocol options. WiFi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) which is a certification program that was created in response to several serious weaknesses researchers had found in the previous system, Wired Equivalent Privacy.

Follow your routers instructions to set up its security or find yourself a 14 year old to do it for you.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover.

Beauty Queen Guns Down Home Invader

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An ex-con picked the wrong home to invade.

Imagine you’re in bed counting sheep dreaming of clouds and flying unicorns. Suddenly there is a knock on the door, which is startling to most people who wake up to the presence of noise and especially that of a knock at 3am.

In your discombobulated state you shuffle over to the door and open it to see who it is, they give you some song and dance and you open the door. Next, a hand wrapped over your face nose and mouth.

In my world this would never happen as previously described. In my world when the door is knocked on or the bell is rung a ferocious toothy German shepherd would lose her mind trying to get through the door, while I’m looking at my security cameras to see who is at the front door.  At the same time I’m accessing an intercom to begin dialog all the while ready to press a panic button on my home security alarm.

If the person at the door is in uniform I’m calling the police to determine if they are supposed to be there. If the person is someone I do not know there isn’t a reason they can give me that will motivate me to open the door.

If all else fails I have plenty of backup beyond the burglar biting beast.

Fox News reports “the invader barged into the home at around 3 a.m. after she responded to a knock at the front door, according to a police report. He allegedly grabbed the 110-pound beauty queen around her nose and mouth and dragged her to an upstairs bedroom. The woman’s fiancé said in an interview that he was quickly awakened by the altercation and ran to her side.”

“I attacked him and took a severe beating to the head,” “But I got him off of her long enough for her to scramble to the room where she keeps her pink .38 special.”

She shot the suspect several times – hitting him in the chest, groin, thigh and back. He was pronounced dead at the scene. At least 4 shots. Dang girl, DANG! Three shots in the front and one in the back, she got him running away!!!!

It was believed the intruder conspired with a pizza delivery man who frequented the home recognizing a $60,000 diamond ring on her finger along with the pizza dude being tasked to change hundred dollar bills each time they bought a pie.

Displaying material wealth can lead to these situations.

For anyone of any income level, spending a buck a day on a home security system is a no brainer. It’s all about priorities people!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse on Fox News.

Butler Charged With Home Invasion

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Every time I ask my butler to take out the trash or get me some Grey Poupon mustard he gives me lip. I’ve relegated him to cleaning my Bentley every day with a tooth brush.

When people think about protecting themselves from the bad guy, they mostly think about a stranger, someone not known to them who have evil intentions. However, all too often it is someone known to the victim.

The term “inside job” is of course when those known to the victim or institution are responsible for the crime.

Insiders are put in a position of trust. They have details at their disposal that enables them to pull off a heist with ease and those details may have them believe their chances of getting caught lessen.

Inside jobs are often played out in movies with an air of truth where a gangster works as a security guard or a bank teller feigns a robbery done by her boyfriend. When I was in high school, two kids I knew worked at a local gas station and had the bright idea to pocket the days proceeds and call the police to report as robbery.

They got away with it, for a day. Their boss was a hulking and imposing man and when he drilled them on what happened he noticed one of them cracking, then he pounded harder until they both broke.

AZCentral.com reports “A former butler of a billionaire socialite has been charged in connection with the 2007 home invasion at her estate, where authorities say the assailants injected her with what they claimed was poison in a failed plot to extort $8.5 million.

Three men dressed all in black, wearing hoods and carrying guns and what appeared to be accordion cases or small suitcases, snuck into the home. The victims were blindfolded and tied up in her bedroom while the assailants roamed the house looking for safes. Investigators believed that the men were familiar with the house because they knew its layout and apparently were aware that its elaborate alarm system either wasn’t working or wasn’t turned on that night.”

While the enemy here is the butler, the catalyst that fueled the crime was “trust”. Trust is an inherent trait we require to function. Without it we would cease to move forward.

And while you need to trust, you shouldn’t let your guard down. Contractors, baby sitters, house cleaners, family members, anyone knocking on your door, those in uniforms or holding badges and especially butlers! can all abuse trust.

Home security cameras, home security alarms and other layers of protection help keep those you trust honest.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston.