Bold Signage Offers Intimidating Layer of Protection

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GUNS GUNS GUNS. People love their GUNS.

Guns are deadly. And as far as the constitution insinuates, that’s the whole point.

Frankly, I like the feel of a gun’s craftsmanship and the occasional target or clay pigeon shooting. The idea of guns makes sense to me for purposes of protection, although, I’m always concerned with guns in the wrong hands, which, unfortunately is a lot of unstable people.

A gun of course is a layer of protection and has been proven to protect civilians, military, police officers, and others in high risk professions every day.

What scares me is people who hide behind their guns in a way that their sweaty grip on them clouds common sense. And of course there is a much higher chance that a gun owner or their family can be killed by their own firearm in their own home too.

Texans love their guns, and again, there’s nothing wrong with that so please don’t send me hate comments.

Fox news reports “a 71-year-old Texas woman has a message for the person who broke into her home last week, “Try to break into this house again, your head will be blown off!” Its message is written in bold, capital letters and is accompanied by a picture of a handgun”, on her front lawn. You go girl.

The woman’s son had the sign made in response to a home invasion.

The intruder kicked her door in and her dogs started barking and hissing which may have given the intruder paws (I mean pause) and he fled.

The sign now warns that the burglar, and the millions of others who may pass through Lufkin Texas, that a little old lady and her Chihuahua are packing heat.

She at least needs a home security system, and probably a bigger watchdog, and a better door.

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

Gritty Grandma Foils Home Invasion

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In Colorado Springs the Gazzette.com reports an eighty-three-year-old grandmother has a simple message for the bad guys: “Nobody better mess with me.”

“A man used a crow bar or similar tool to pry at the back door of her central Colorado Springs home. Throwing her 112 pound frame against the door, she wasn’t having it. The intruder — who wore a hooded sweatshirt — took off running after she blocked the way and cried out that she was calling the police.”

The scenario went like this: She was on the phone calling in a prescription. She sees a guy in a hooded sweatshirt coming down her front walkway.  He puts the hood on then rings the doorbell. She doesn’t answer. Grandma states in the article “I never come to the door.” Then moments later after ringing the doorbell and knocking loudly, he went around to her back door and began prying at the back door with a crowbar.

“She shouted for the man to leave, and he began pounding at the door. Then she placed herself against the door and continued shouting that she was going to call police. Then the door began to open, leaving a three-inch gap of daylight between the door and the frame.”

Then for whatever reason, he took off running. For whatever reason the home invader got spooked.

This is a happy ending. But it could have just as easily, and it’s more likely to have ended tragically as it does in similar situations every day. He probably didn’t intend on “invading” the home, because he didn’t think she was home. But more likely he was going to burgle it with her gone.

What to do?

Signage outside, front and back saying the home is alarmed is a deterrent.

Big dog bowls saying “Killer” on the front and back porch is a deterrent.

When at home and seeing someone trying to break in, hit the panic button on your alarm. For my system it’s the “A” and “1” button simultaneously. That sends off a shrieking alarm and calls the police.

Have your alarm on 24/7. Meaning if someone pries open a door while you are home or away, the alarm goes off.

Install home security cameras around the perimeter. I have 8 cameras outside fully encompassing every door and window.

These are all layers of security. The more layers you install the less likely your home will be targeted.

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

A Third Of Break-in Victims Suffer From Anxiety

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The impact of a burglary far surpasses the cost of replacing stolen items or damaged property, as research by ADT Security reveals break-ins cause anxiety in 34% of victims.

Honestly, this number seems low. I still have anxiety from a break-in from a home I owned 15 years ago, that was 4 houses ago! That feeling never really leaves you. It’s a constant reminder to be vigilant and activate that alarm.

The inaugural Secure Homes Report, which surveyed 2000 homeowners and renters, reveals that 40% of victims experienced reduced trust levels, 16% experienced sleeping problems and 8% were no longer able to be at home alone following break-in or burglary.

According to the research, the majority of those surveyed are aware of the need for home security, with 93% locking their doors.

But when those surveyed had been victims of a previous break-in they chose more advanced custom home security solutions. As many as 65% of break-in victims reported they upgraded their homes security after their homes were broken into.

I’ve seen even higher statistics than that. In an informal survey I’ve done, almost 9 out of 10 people I talked to installed a home security system after they were broken into.

Once a home is burgled, people lose their sense of security and try to gain it back with the installation of an alarm. A home alarm certainly provides security, but people who are victimized in this way often face years of emotional aftershocks.

The key to security is thinking proactively and doing things to secure yourself and family before something bad happens. Don’t think “it can’t happen to me”, think “yes, there is a chance this can happen and I’m going to set an example and proactively do something about it.”

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

Serial Killer Loose On Long Island

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“The serial killer who dumped his victim’s bodies in the thick brush along several miles of New York’s breathtaking beachfront may have dismembered several of them, law enforcement authorities have told ABC News.”

The chance of you ever coming face to face with a serial killer is extremely slim, unless of course you are a prostitute, then the odds change. Either way there is an extremely slim chance you’d ever get struck by lightning too. But I’ll bet you wouldn’t go climbing a metal flag pole in a lightning storm.

On Long Island, New York officials have found the remains of 9-10 bodies most believed to be women and so far one child.

Much speculation has come about regarding the killer’s profile. Some say his IQ may be as high as 120, he is probably white, mid 30’s, and integrated into the community. He could be a neighbor, boss and some say a cop or military.

The case points to how the killer is someone who looks like you and I and acts like you and me, but simply doesn’t think like you and I.

He may “suffer” from anti-social personality disorder. They lack empathy for others’ feelings. They aren’t concerned about the consequences of their actions and the potential harm it may do others. Many in prison are said to have this “ailment.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics “In 2008, over 7.3 million people were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole at year-end — 3.2% of all U.S. adult residents or 1 in every 31 adults.”  2,304,115 were incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails.

There is an old saying born of motorcycle gangs called “one percenters”.  The theory is 1% of all people come out of their momma just bad. According to these stats, it may actually be 3.2 percent.

Unfortunately, while most people are civilized, few aren’t. The uncivilized don’t have the same boundaries as us and sometimes kill for their own pleasure.

Lock up, install a home security system, take a self defense course, and keep your head up.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing self defense and rape prevention on NBC Boston

Couple Poses As City Inspectors To Rob Homes

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NECN reports “a husband and wife from North Carolina are in court in Massachusetts charged with scamming their way into homes. Police say the couple stole from a house by posing as electrical inspectors. The 75-year-old homeowner says he and his wife were distracted by a woman while man ransacked their home. It turned out they were able to frighten their intruders away and nothing was stolen but investigators believe lots of other people were robbed by the couple in many other states.

“This is how they make their living.  This is what they do,” said the Deputy Chief. When they were picked up by police, they allegedly had more than $60,000 in cash and stolen goods with them as well as two children ages 8 and 10.”

What a mess.

This is a common trick a burglar may use to invade your home.  I did this on the Montel Williams Show to prove a point. It was real simple. I ring the door bell standing in the doorway with a clip board, measuring tape and wearing a tool belt, a green jumpsuit and have a badge saying I’m from the local water company. The homeowner, a woman says “Hello, how can I help you?” and I inform the homeowner that I’m with the water company and need to come inside to check the “colorization” and PH of their water.

Every door I knocked on the person let me in. Some people were a little more resistant, but I still got in.

The previous message isn’t a “How to” it’s a “Look for this” so don’t go getting any bright ideas Kojack.

We are a kind, trusting and civil species. We trust by default. We want to help, we want to accommodate and we don’t ever want to think “bad” is on the other side of the door or “bad” will ever happens to us.

There’s lots of bad out there. And sometimes it has kids in the car waiting. What a mess.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams.

Elderly Scams Heating Up

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Unfortunately the media is reporting lots and lots of scams directed towards the elder population. We’ve discussed these scams at length in these posts, and we are going to again today. As long as there are victims, we need to be reminded of how to protect those who need protecting.

Real time – real life examples are often the best teaching tool providing insight to the scammers process and what to look out for. Print this out or email it to someone who needs to be reminded:

Austin Texas, April 4, 2011: The austindailyherald.com reports “an 85-year-old rural Austin woman is out $3,800 after getting scammed by someone she believed was her granddaughter. The person told her she had been in a car accident in Mexico and needed her to wire money to pay for the accident.”

Perry County PA, March 22: WHPTV.com reports “An 84 year old woman fell victim to a phone call scam from someone saying they were from law enforcement and that her grandson needed bail money. They claimed he was in jail in Haiti. The scammer then put someone else on the line who claimed to be her grandson. She provided her credit card information and a driver’s license number. A charge was later received for $1400. That charge was made in Canada.”

Chicago IL, April 4: The Chicago Tribune reports: “An 86-year-old Tinley Park woman who told police she handed over her savings last week to a man she thought was investigating an earlier scam against her. A con artist posing as an investigator — in this case reportedly wearing glasses, a tan coat and dark dress pants and flashing a gold badge. A Chicago ring whose members allegedly posed as an FBI agent as well as bank and credit-card fraud investigators and stole roughly $100,000 from about 20 elderly victims.

In another Chicago case, an 80-year-old woman was persuaded by a police impersonator to withdraw $18,000 to pay her husband’s bail. She was so panicked, police said, she forgot to check if he was in jail.”

Toronto, April 7th: CityTV.com reports “Man charged with scamming 95-year-old woman out of thousands. Conman duped woman into paying him for furnace repairs he didn’t make. It began when the victim answered a knock on the door of her home.  “He comes to the door and said, ‘I’d like to see the heater,” .The elderly woman let him in and the suspect went down in the basement and stayed there for quite some time while she waited upstairs. When he came up, he said she owed over $7,000.  She told the man she didn’t have that kind of money on her, and he allegedly convinced her to approve a bank withdrawal for the amount.

I repeat: Print this out or email it to someone who needs to be reminded.

I feel like I need to take a shower with a Brillo pad.

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

Facebook Used To Stop Home Invasion

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This is just the greatest story about social media used for doing good EVER. A University of Georgia student was in bed when masked men invaded his home and tied up his 17-year-old sister and his grandmother.

The student wakes up and probably heard yelling and realized what was happening; apparently he didn’t have his phone so he took his laptop and hid in the attic. He logged into Facebook and wrote as a status message “someone please call 911, no phone, hiding in my house, robbery,”

CNN reports “His best friend called police, and sheriff’s deputies arrived, the men scattered as soon as police arrived. But they arrested one of the suspects while two, possibly three, others got away.

They quoted him as saying “Facebook was like the only thing where I knew I could reach someone instantly that was on chat.”

I’ve always recommended having a phone by the bed. I have both a land line and my mobile ALWAYS accessible by the bed.

If the home invaders bypass all the solid core doors and other layers of protection I have in place and for whatever reason my home security alarm is disabled (which isn’t very possible because it’s battery backed and wireless), or the dog doesn’t attack them and they cut the phone lines or simply take a phone off the hook, then my mobile is right there.

Long story short, have a mobile by the bed, or at least a laptop so you can post a status update that you’ve just been invaded by masked thugs. Unbelievable!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show.

Epsilon Breach Reminds of Security Awareness

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Epsilon is a marketing company that has millions of emails on file of consumers who have made purchases or are affiliated with various banks, retailers, hotels etc. Epsilon sends over 40 billion emails out a year and was recently breached in a hack attack. Consumers are now receiving breach notifications from the likes of financial institutions such as Citigroup, Capital One and JPMorgan Chase, and hotels such as the Marriot and the Hilton.

The result of the breach will mean consumers will receive phishing emails that look like one of the legitimate entities breached but are in fact fake trying to trick the victim into entering their usernames and passwords or providing personal information such as credit cards or even Social Security numbers.

This is made possible by the fact that the consumer is accustomed to receiving similar emails on a regular basis and may not be able to tell the difference between a real or fake.

This breach should unquestionably heighten consumers’ awareness of their personal security in regards to their information security and also their physical security. Criminals are targeting the public in more ways today than ever before.

Being overwhelmed and paranoid is unnecessary, but being alert and focused is essential.

A constant vigilance is required in order to protect yourself and family from the onslaught of scams and potential violence that is being perpetrated every moment of every day.

Meanwhile:

Never enter personal information into an email not initiated by you.

Never click links in an email. Go to your bookmarks or manually type in the address.

Consider changing up your email address if it has been breached.

Change all your passwords to different passwords. No two accounts should have the same password.

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

Home Invader Gets Life

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The trial and sentencing of a New Hampshire home invasion that goes back to 2009 where a gang of late teens and 20 somethings broke into a home while the mom and daughter were sleeping is over. The dad was away on business. In the course of events, the mom died of a machete wound and the daughter was severely injured.

CBS News reports “Judge Gillian Abramson imposed the mandatory sentence of life without parole, telling Gribble (the lead home invader/murderer), “infinity is not enough jail time.”

Gribble claimed the insanity defense and admitted he did it along with a guy named Spader and that they intended to kill anyone they found in the house.

“Most of Gribble’s knife blows targeted the girl. A lead investigator said that even as she lay on the bedroom floor bloodied and feigning death, she opened one eye and watched as Gribble plunged a knife into the throat of her mother, Kimberly Cates.”

The father said in a victim impact statement:  “I’ve lived the accounts of Kim’s murder one excruciating blow after another. Through these accounts I have heard my wife’s last breath, heard my daughter’s screams, seen my daughter’s perfect body mutilated. I don’t have any illusions this invasion of the sanctity of our home will ever be behind us. Jaime and I won’t live a day without thinking of the horrific things that happened in our home and that Kim will never again be with us.”

Here are 5 tips to help keep you safe and prevent a home invasion:

1. Never talk to strangers via an open or screen door. Always talk to them through a locked door.

2. NEVER let children open the door. Always require and adult to do it.

3. Install a home burglar alarm and keep it on 24/7/365. With a home alarm system on, when someone knocks on the door, a conscious decision has to be made to turn off the alarm. Most people will keep it on.

4. Not all home invaders knock, some break in without warning.  Just another reason to have that alarm on.

5. Install a 24-hour camera surveillance system. Cameras are a great deterrent.  Have them pointed to every door and access point.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show.

Scammers Use Medical Issues To Prey On People’s Good Nature

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While there are some mean and nasty people out there, generally people are nice, kind and cordial. We are conditioned from birth to be civil towards each other.

However, those mean and nasty’s seem to pop up all the time and ruin someone’s day.  One scam in particular that has always intrigued me revolves around health issues.

Organ transplant scam – In New Hampshire “a man who almost conned a 73-year-old Maine woman out of $35,000 by claiming he needed a liver transplant has agreed to plead guilty as part of a plea deal he struck with prosecutors. He told her that he would die without the transplant; the scammer also allegedly told police that God told him he needed the operation and he convinced the woman that he was interested in her romantically, and had once stayed over at her home. His alleged plan was to have the woman take out a loan against the equity of her house.”

Cancer scam – In another case “a Michigan woman convicted of scamming thousands of dollars from donors by drugging her 12-year-old son to make him appear to have cancer. The scammer elicited donations from individuals, groups and members of at least one church who believed they were helping to pay for her son’s medical care as he underwent chemotherapy. She is accused of shaving her son’s head and eyebrows. Court records show she told her son he had leukemia.”

These medical scams are generally successful because someone somewhere is going to tap into their good nature and help out. And while I suggest helping out whenever possible, simply beware of medical and disease scams and be careful who you donate to. You can always do some deeper checking with the hospital the person says they are being treated at. This in most cases will stop the scammer on their tracks.

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