How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft During Tax Season

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Approximately 155 million tax forms are filed annually.  People need to understand that thieves are inventing new ways to steal identities each and every day.  And since tax time is a key period when we see a spike in identity theft, it’s crucial that we get the word out now and educate people about the latest scams.

File Early. It seems crazy to think that someone would actually file taxes in your name, but it’s being done. Once they get a hold of a few W2’s or other tax related documents that give them an idea of what your tax return will be, they being the process of filing in your name and reap your return. File before they do.

Secure Your Mail. Mail is stolen every day. Tax forms have social security numbers. When mailing your taxes don’t put them in your mail box with the red-flag up. Use a secure mailbox at the post-office or a big blue box.

Tax Preparer Scams. Reports of tax preparers telling clients they must pay back stimulus payments and then pocketing the money is last years scam coming back. Not all professional tax preparers have your best interest at heart. Make sure you do research and choose your tax preparer wisely.

Late Payment Scam. As people fall behind on their taxes, lists are created and available either internally or printed in the local paper as public record. These lists can fall into the wrong hands and thieves call unassuming people to collect.

Internet Phishing Scams. The IRS doesn’t send emails. Phony IRS e-mails that try to lure tax payers into giving out personal information are a common scam. This scam is generally used as a means to convince individuals to provide personal or financial information that enables the perpetrators to commit credit card, bank fraud or other forms of identity theft.

Protect your PC. Whether or not you are filing online it is essential that your PC is secured. All the basics include making sure you have updated anti-virus, a two way firewall, spyware removal software run regularly, and be sure to protect your wireless internet connection with a network key.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Tax Scams on Fox News

Police: Supermarket Owner ‘Specifically Targeted’ in Home Invasion

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Everyday I see dozens of stories on home invasions. And there are unfortunately dozens of ways  and reasons why home invasions occur.  But one thing they all have in common is violence.

Targets of home invasions vary from the homeowner who just happened to be home all the way to the executive and his family who were purposefully targeted.

Moneyed individuals need to take additional precautions due to their stature in society and bank accounts. High profile individuals often have access to secure facilities, keys to the safe, passwords to databases and power that puts them and their families at risk.

“Several law enforcement agencies are pooling resources to solve the murder of a supermarket owner found gunned down at this home after an apparent robbery. According to police reports, family members said two men entered the house late Saturday and took them in the back, keeping them separated. Police have said the family members did not know the suspects. “In my opinion, he was specifically targeted,” police said. “It was pre-planned.”

However, the most vulnerable people are not the executives, but their spouses and kids who are more accessible and often the path of least resistance to “get to” the executive. For most people this isn’t much of a concern, but for all you c-level company officers and heads of corporations, security isn’t an option, it’s a requirement.

Security details in some cases at the executive’s home may be necessary. Evaluations should be made to determine whether family members should receive any personal security training or additional protection of their own.

In the least, all company officers must have a home alarm system that is monitored, surveillance cameras and one of my personal favorites, a trained German Shepherd. Another consideration is a home safe-room also known as a “panic room” where executives and their families can hide out in a relatively bullet proof, well stocked room equipped with wireless communications and wait for law enforcement to show up.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on NBC Boston

Safety and Security on College Campuses

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

You’re in high-school and you’ve been having numerous discussions with friends and family about what colleges you want to go to. Maybe you’ve even applied to a few and have been accepted and in some cases rejected. Your search for schools generally involves the type of education you will receive, costs, location and the notoriety of the school. Choices like this weigh heavily on the student and the parent.

One of the most overlooked aspects of selecting a school is consideration for its safety and security on campus. When you or your child heads off into the real world, their safety needs to be the most important part of your decision making.

College is a mish-mash of people from all over the place from different cultures, backgrounds and ages. This melting pot can be a great learning experience. But things can go wrong too.

The stresses of college life can lead to violence at times. Additionally, college students are sometimes targeted by locals who know the students are in an unfamiliar environment. Then there’s dating violence, stalking, and way too much alcohol and sometimes drugs involved.

Another security issue here is that learning institutions are generally “open” and inviting opposed to locked down and secure.  Not doing your security homework can turn a student’s life for the worst if they don’t put systems in place to protect themselves.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 USC § 1092(f)) is the landmark federal law, originally known as the Campus Security Act, that requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses.

Do your research into the crime climate of the learning institution you plan on attending. Don’t sit idly back and hope everything will be OK. Educational institutions aren’t meant to be secure fortresses. They are meant to be open learning institutions. While many districts are beefing up security, others are doing less than their share of making it difficult for a predator to gain access.

  1. Directly call the institutions security office and get statistics for on and off campus crimes. You want to know exactly what has taken place in the last 3-5 years.
  2. If you go to the campus have an onsite meeting with the security office. It is in the best interest, and required by law for colleges to offer personal security training for their students.
  3. Determine what systems are in place to head off danger in regards to campus security personnel and technology.
  4. Ask if they have “threat management teams” (TMT) in place.  The sole purpose of TMT is to predict and prevent violence by having reporting systems in place that identify students and their behaviors who have the potential for acting out. Threat management teams intervene and provide those students with the necessary help they need.
  5. If they have a rape counseling center or any type of victim’s advocacy on campus talk to them too.
  6. Find someone on campus who has been there for at least a year. Ask around how people feel in general.
  7. Whether living on or off campus invest in your personal security. Wireless home alarms and portable home security systems are cost effective and an additional layer of protection. Security cameras are inexpensive and can greatly enhance your security too.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Self Defense on Fox Boston

Personal Security: Scareware Scares You In To Paying

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Makers of fake anti-virus software force people to buy ‘scareware’. If one could have a favorite scam, for me, it would be “scareware.” My reasoning is it’s one of the few scams that actually gets through to me. My computer’s defenses are pretty good, but I still see scareware. They’ve even taken my blog posts and used my name to launch scareware in Google News Alerts. I have some criminal hacker’s attention and he created scareware in honor of lil’ ole me!

Web pages may be infected or built to distribute scareware. The goal is to trick you into clicking on links. After landing on a page, pop-ups bombard you and warn you that your PC is infected with an Ebola- like virus and your PC will die a horrible death with fluids running from all ports if you don’t fix it immediately for $49.95.

Shutting off this pop-up is often difficult and any buttons you press within this pop-up could mean downloading the exact virus they warned you of. BRILLIANT!

Studies show that organized criminals are earning $10,000.00 a day from scareware! That’s approximately 200 people a day getting nabbed. Some “distributors” have been estimated to make as much as $5 million a year.

What makes the scam so believable is there is actual follow through of the purchasing of software that is supposed to protect you. There is a shopping cart, an order form, credit card processing and a download, just like any online software purchase.

The software is sometimes known as “AntiVirus2009” “WinFixer,” “WinAntivirus,” “DriveCleaner,” “WinAntispyware,” “AntivirusXP” and “XP Antivirus 2008.” These are actually viruses or spyyware that infect your PC, or just junk software that does nothing of value.

Scareware programs are a threat to your personal security and online safety. Luckily, this is an easy fix. The best way to prevent seeing a pop-up for scareware is using the latest Firefox browser. Firefox lets few, if any pop-ups through. No pop-ups, no scareware. If you are using another browser and a pop-up –pops-up, shut down your browser. If the pop-up won’t let you shut it down, do a Ctrl-Alt-Delete and shut down the browser that way.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing ransomware, a form of scareware on Fox Boston. Disclosures

Police Battle Break-in Trend

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Belmont Massachusetts is right near Boston. This is not too far from my house and it’s where people “Pahk the Cahh in Hahvad Yahd.”  Police are fighting a battle that has its residents all shook up over more than a dozen home burglaries in recent weeks. Many of the victims came home to broken windows and kicked in doors.

Among the missing items were jewelry, coins and electronics which are common resalable items fenced on the streets and in pawnshops. In at least 2 cases plasma TVs were taken.

“Police say the number of break-ins is about on par with what they’d expect, although possibly on the higher side because of the trickle down effects of the economic downturn. Some of it’s based on the economy right now, said a spokesman for the department. “It’s people trying to supplement what little or no income they have. We encourage residents to use common sense, people have to take a little bit of responsibility for their own safety and security. Lock your cars, lock your doors.”

In 2 cases they determined teenagers broke into homes to party. One family came home to find liquor and cigars stolen. Another reported their house was messy and smelled of alcohol and one of the beds was slept in.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice only about 17 percent of property crimes are ever solved.

I have a question. Have any of these people ever heard of a “home security system?”  It’s a simple question. You know, those electrical noisy thingies that set off an alarm when an unauthorized person or party forcibly enters the residence? These same doo-hickies CALL THE POLICE. With all due respect, and please, excuse my insensitivity to the matter, while the homeowner is not responsible for the break-in, and while it is an awful thing to happen, you are in the best position to prevent it.

The worst thing you can do is nothing. The best thing you can do is be proactive. As eloquently stated, “people have to take a little bit of responsibility for their own safety and security.”

Robert Siciliano personal security expert, to Home Security Source discussing personal security on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures

Apartment Security 101

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

According to the National Crime Prevention Council, apartments have an 85 percent more chance of being burglarized. Homeowner or renter, everyone has the same cares and concerns regarding their personal security.

As a landlord, or, as I request they refer to me, a Landdude, I make apartment security a priority for my tenants. We have home security systems, surveillance cameras, 400 watt sodium lighting on the exterior and a process in place where we watch out for each other. If I’m traveling, my tenants pay extra attention to my family and vice versa.

We have a schedule that involves locking exterior doors and making sure the property is secured. If a stranger is in the area or paying unwanted attention to us or the property, we call each other to decide what we may do in response. There’s always strength in numbers.

If you are looking to make a move and an apartment is in your future, make sure you do your homework.

While the landlord may interview you, you should interview the landlord. Find out what his/her processes are for security. What is their annual investment? What is their philosophy regarding apartment security? Do they even have one?

Does the landlord do anything in regards to background checks? What is the existing security at the property? Ask about lighting, cameras, locks on doors and windows and has he even changed the keys since the last tenant. What is the immediate neighborhood like? Are their local drug houses, etc?

Contact the local law enforcement and ask for a record of recent crimes committed. Get some statistics. Some law enforcement agencies will be more or less cooperative. You want to know about the prevalence of violent crimes, sex offenders and theft.

One of the most effective ways to get the pulse of the community is by buying the local newspaper. The police blotter over a one month period is telling.

Ask if you have permission to install an in-apartment home security system with motion detectors. This should not be negotiable. Wireless home security systems are non-invasive and not expensive.

Require a peep hole on your door.

If the doors are glass paned opposed to solid core doors, then your potential landlord isn’t concerned about your security.

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

Family Starts Rebuilding After Home Invasion

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Imagine you’ve lived at your home for a number of years, but it doesn’t feel like home anymore. It used to be a place that was comforting and soothing; a place of security where you didn’t have to “worry.”

But then your home is burglarized. Your home is ransacked; your home life has been violated. The sense of home security is gone. This is what happened to the Bastyr family.

“I hear every little noise,” Colleen Bastyr said. “I’m always looking through the windows to see if someone is there. When someone knocks at the door – or we hear a sound – my daughter hides.”

Imagine. It makes me want to break something when I read that. People who have worked their whole lives, raising a family and doing the right thing are made to feel fear in their own home because someone needed to get a fix, or for fun or some other stupid reason. It’s just not fair.

The family had left the home, locked, but apparently no alarm, to take the husband to the hospital for a surgery. When they came home the lights were on and a ladder was leaning up against the home with a window open.

The house was in shambles. Tables, chairs, dresser draws, everything turned upside down.

“The burglar(s) had scribbled all over the walls, cabinets, floors, chairs and couches in red fingernail polish, Colleen recalls. The curtains were all torn up and the couches had been cut apart with a knife.

The burglar(s) then took ketchup, mustard and salsa out of the refrigerator and poured it all over the Bastyr’s bedroom mattress. Colleen also found that her cabinets, refrigerator and oven range had been smashed, holes were kicked in the doors, and dresser drawers had been dumped on the floor, along with all the shelves and clothes in the family’s closets.”

All told there was $30,000 in damage done. The only stolen item was a laptop computer. Seems the family came home and scared the burglars/vandals away.

From now on the home is a reminder of that terrible day. Some say, it could have been worse, fortunately nobody was hurt, they have their health. Yes, and that is all true. While gaining perspective certainly helps cope, it doesn’t change what happened.  When a person’s sense of home security is violated in that way, their sense of life is no longer the same.

“At this point we have each other and that’s what matters,” she added. “We won’t let them bring us down. We won’t let them win.” And life goes on.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert, to Home Security Source discussing home invasions on the Montel Williams Show (Disclosures)

Woman Captures Alleged Theft on Video

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

If I’ve said this a bazillion times I’ll say it again, video rules! Being able to access video footage of the day’s or evening’s “goings on” provides a tremendous amount of security. The UK has always been the leader in introducing video surveillance in public.

“Public video surveillance in the UK began very unassumingly in 1986, on a single square mile industrial estate outside the English town of King’s Lynn. Three CCTV video surveillance cameras were used and their impact was immediate. In the years before the cameras were installed, there had been 58 crimes (mostly vandalism) recorded on the estate. In the two years following the installation, there were no crimes reported”

Since then, millions of video cameras have been installed all over Europe, Asia and the United States.  Residential adoption of home security cameras is growing here in the states too. People everywhere now understand the benefits of being able to record activity that goes on at your residence while you are home or away. There is a tremendous piece of mind that goes along with being able to securely and remotely monitor over the Internet, what goes on at your home.


“A Chicago woman says someone stole her boyfriend’s brand new computer that had just been delivered to her apartment building lobby. She caught the theft on videotape and police tell her there have been dozens of similar cases in the past two weeks. A security camera set up in the lobby of the building clearly shows a delivery person entering the front door of the building. The videotape shows a man walking up to the front door, apparently referring to a message on his phone and then punching in an access code to open the front door. Less than a minute later, the video shows the man leaving the building with the package under his arm, then running down the street.”


Scenes like this are playing out all over the country. In many cases, home video surveillance is a great deterrent. With posted signage to add another layer of security, a criminal will generally think twice about stealing from “that” home and move onto one that doesn’t have video. Criminals don’t want to get caught for their bad deeds, and if a camera is on them they are less likely to strike.


The benefits of installing a home security system go way beyond deterrence or catching the bad guy. When you are at work, you can check in on your family at home. If you have a babysitter or nanny at the house, you can check in from the road. Some home security surveillance systems applications allow you to check in from a mobile phone too. If you have a vacation home, having a surveillance system installed there is fantastic.  And if you have an elderly parent who is home alone, having a security camera checking on them is a wonderful piece of mind.


Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing home security on Fox Boston Show. Disclosures

Attorney General Leads Senior Anti-Crime University

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses” was written in a poem as part of a declaration that we, in the United States, protect those who need protecting. It’s an unfortunate statement about society that the weakest are often the most vulnerable, as opposed to the most protected. Even today, the elderly are often targeted by ruthless and heartless criminals who have no remorse.


“Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard leads a team of experts in consumer scams, investment fraud, personal safety, elder abuse, financial exploitation and other issues affecting seniors. The Senior Anti-Crime Universities are designed to teach attendees to detect fraud and other consumer abuse commonly perpetrated against seniors. Each university offers a half day of classes in consumer fraud and scams, identity theft, life care planning/health care directives, Medicare/Medicaid fraud, financial exploitation, elder abuse and neglect, Internet safety and charitable giving. Learn more about the anti-crime universities from Goddard in his video message available at http://www.azag.gov/seniors/sleuths/sacu.html.”


20 years ago I was walking on the side of the highway because my vehicle broke down. A man in a car pulled over near me and asked if I needed a ride. I quickly accepted and got in. I don’t think I’d recommend doing that today, but that’s not the point of the story. After a minute in the car, I could see the man was handicapped, and only had one leg. I was moved by this man’s generosity and going out of his way to help me. I asked “why did you pull over and pick me up?” he then responded, “sometimes people just need help.” A simple act of kindness like this had a profound effect on my life. I don’t think any other words have ever impacted me so much.


Protecting the elderly from various abuses and crimes begins with getting involved. Everyone knows someone who needs help in some way. Reach out. Get involved in your local senior community center. Look in your own neighborhoods and determine if there is someone that could use an extra pair of eyes to watch out for and over them. Get familiar with all the scams, crimes, and potential issues they may face. If there are people who need a home security system, call on your local dealer and do a charitable event where the community donates to help out those in need. Work with local law enforcement and become a local expert in crime prevention. Put on your own events and give your time to those who need help.


Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing becoming a home security on NBC Boston. Disclosures

Police Initiative Targets Home Invasions

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Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Detroit Police Department cracks down on home invasions across Detroit. There are few crimes as horrific as a home invasion. When a bad guy forces their way into your home and uses violence on your and your family to get what they want, all sense of security is gone. Apparently this is a significant issue in Detroit, but it is happening all over the country, and the world for that matter.

“More than 20 people have been arrested in the Detroit Police Department’s targeting of home invaders. The initiative, called “Home Sweet Home,” is aimed at cracking down on home invaders. DPD said 25 people have been arrested in the first four days of the five-day initiative. “These guys have made a number of arrests, not only for perps caught committing the crimes themselves but also people who we’ve targeted that had warrants for home invasions,” said Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans. But, DPD said, there are some who have been arrested on warrants for failing to appear in court, probation violations and even one suspect who had a murder warrant.”

In a recent post, “Home Safety: Operation Storm Targets Burglars” discussed that Police in the UK have launched a very proactive new blitz on burglars to bring down crime. I boasted how great the UK’s strategy is and asked, “Why don’t we do that here?” Well…we do!! Nice job Detroit PD!

The last thing you ever want happening to you or your family is a home invasion. This is a crime that can be combated with common sense and a home security plan. First things first, often the home invaders have some type of knowledge of, or relationship with, the victims. Your first line of defense is to only socialize with good, healthy people. Sounds like common sense, but unfortunately too many people associate with bad people and don’t recognize this in their own lives, as I discussed on the Sally Jesse Show.

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 doors. 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 security expert, to Home Security Source discussing personal security on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures