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Beware of Home Security Scams

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Will the home security scams ever stop? The latest scam has fraudsters going door to door, posing as sales reps for “Trio Alarm.” They first make sure that the houses they visit already have a security system (e.g., security decals on windows), then tell the occupant that the company for that security system has gone belly up. (Yeah, right, ADT has gone belly up!)

1SBut there’s one born every minute, right? The scammer tries to get the resident to sign a five year contract for “Trio Alarm.”

The alleged Trio Alarm company doesn’t even have a business license in the city of Huntington, West Virginia, where these scams have been occurring. There really is a Trio Alarm company, but it’s not known if the scammers are associated with them.

At any rate, if someone shows up at your door and says your alarm company has gone under, are you really naïve enough to take their word for it and sign a five year contract on the spot, rather than simply thanking that person, taking their business card, closing (and locking) the door, and then calling your alarm company to verify what you just learned?

Contact the attorney general’s office if you feel that a sales rep at your door was a con artist. And though Trio Alarm really exists, their D-minus rating with the BBB also exists.

Preventing Home Security Scams

  • If you have a home security system, and you receive a call from someone claiming to be from that company, requesting personal information for an update or whatever…don’t give out this information; tell them you’ll call back. Then call the company to see if the call was a scam.
  • Beware of the door-to-door home security “sales rep.” If you don’t have an alarm system and tell them “no thank you,” and they leave…that might not be the end of them; they may break into your home in the future, knowing you lack a security system.
  • Never give out any private information to anyone at your door! A company that really needs this information won’t send someone out in person to ring your doorbell to get it. And really, no company needs this information.
  • You’ll be a lot safer in life if you worry more about you and your family’s safety than hurting the feelings of a stranger at the front door. If the “sales rep” is persistent, including insisting he come inside because it’s hot out, or he needs to show you some papers, etc., do not give in! SAY NO, and do it through the door, don’t even open the door. If he’s legit, he’ll forget about your “rudeness” by the time he gets to the next doorbell!

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

What we can learn from Celebrity Stalkers

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Rihanna was basically discovered on YouTube. Had she stayed there, her psycho stalker would have never had any interest in her. People are just plain insane. But she’s famous, so Kevin McGlynn decided to send her threatening letters and lurk outside her home, says an article at reuters.com. He was committed to a mental facility. McGlynn, 54, has orders not to contact Rihanna in any way.

1SDJudge Orlando Marrazzo says that this guy believes that Rihanna and other stars have used his material for their songs. The judge says that McGlynn may be capable of killing Rihanna and anyone else in the way.

Not surprisingly, this guys lawyers won’t respond to comment requests. Maybe if McGlynn heard Rihanna’s cover of “Hero” when she was 15 years old, he’d instantly lose interest in her (no autotune!). But then maybe he’ll simply latch his obsession onto another celebrity.

Just how well is Rihanna’s mansion protected? With all the money she has, she can easily afford the world’s best security system: all the layers, inside and out. This would include shatter proof glass for every window and a team of 24-hour security guards. She can have barriers to her grounds created to prevent stalkers from lurking on the premises.

Of course, many “ordinary” people are victims of stalking, such as by ex-boyfriends. Even women commit stalking. The stalker could be a coworker, former spouse, secret admirer, anyone. How do you get rid of a stalker? Well, one thing’s for sure: If the stalker has nothing to fear from his victim, he’ll keep stalking.

First off, find out if you’re being stalked. Be acutely aware of your environment. Know who’s around you when shopping. Take note of cars behind you when driving. Pursue martial arts. Trade the crunch machine at the gym for the heavy bag (ever see avid heavy bag users who didn’t have great abs?).

Though a left hook or inside crescent kick won’t stop a bullet fired from 10 feet away, you can easily take out an unarmed stalker if you’re trained and he or she is not. Even if the stalker rushes you with a 2 x 4, you have an excellent chance of being victorious if you have enough self-defense training.

If you’re being stalked or suspect it, don’t waste another second with getting a complete home security system.

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

11 ways to Let Santa in and keep Bad Guys out

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You’ve heard of “dumb criminals,” right? Well…unfortunately, there’s at least as many dimwitted homeowners as there are criminals. Be a smart homeowner and use smart technology along with smart security tips and smarten up!2B

  1. The holiday season has arrived. Are you going to display a huge Christmas tree in your biggest window, shades up, so that thieves casing the neighborhood can see all the presents piled under it? “Those people have valuables,” they’ll think.
  2. Get a home security, video monitoring and automation system like Piper that allows you to get alerts on your iOS and Android mobile devices when activities occur and gives you full access to your home via a 180-degree, panoramic camera.The Piper + Z-Wave Pack comes with window and door sensors along with a smart warning sticker.
  3. Get more signage.“Beware of Dog”, “This home is Alarmed” “Video Surveillance in use” etc. Find out where you can get the signs; eBay, hardware stores etc.Thieves don’t like to take chances that you’re bluffing.
  4. Don’t underestimate thieves who case neighborhoods. Though some criminals are truly dumb, many are smart enough to cleverly case houses before breaking in, such as wandering around dressed like the water meter man, carrying a clipboard, posing as an inspector when instead he’s looking to see whose homes he could easily get into. They knock on doors, and if no-one answers, they jiggle the door knobs. They’ve even been known to put reflective stickers on the homes front door so they remember which house is unlocked.
  5. And back to that Piper home security, video monitoring and automation system. Set it to send you notifications or call you when events occur in your home, like when doors are opened or rooms are entered. You can even set Piper to capture a video clip of the event when it happens, so you always know what’s going on when you’re not home.
  6. Keep your doors locked at all times until you must go through them. There’s always enough time to lock a door after you use it. My doors are locked all day. It’s not about being “paranoid,” it’s about being in control of your families security.
  7. Ask yourself if there’s any logical reason why your shades must be up when it’s dark outside—when anyone could look in and see what you have or how vulnerable you may be—then make a habit of shutting the view before it gets dark. Ideally, keep curtains and blinds/shades down during the day, too, at least in rooms where you don’t have to have the light coming in from outside.
  8. Just went Christmas or Chanukah shopping? Close the garage before you unload all the expensive goodies from your car so nobody can see.
  9. Never post in social media your vacation plans or information about recent purchases of things that thieves love. Does someone you barely know who lives 400 miles away need to see your new diamond earrings?
  10. Make sure your social media pages don’t contain personal information like your e-mail address or phone numbers.
  11. Be careful about the inane things you post, such as “I’m sitting here at the car dealership all day while my car is being fixed.” You never know who might read this and decide to rob your home.

Robert Siciliano, personal and home security specialist for Piper, the All-In-One Home Security, Video Monitoring and Automation Device, discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Father nabs Daughter’s Kidnapper

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So if your family goes to bed, and a sociopath walks in at 4:30 in the morning (because you left a door unlocked!), and grabs your child while you’re asleep …you’d better hope your guardian angel is on steroids.

2BAn Associated Press article reports that a Utah man managed to rescue his 5-year-old daughter as an intruder was carrying her across the lawn after kidnapping her at 4:30 am.

The parents left a door unlocked! The father never heard screams, but was a light enough sleeper that he heard the front door opening, then heard the child talking.

The time lapse between when the front door opened and when the father caught the intruder outside is not clear. But there was enough time for the sociopath to get into the girl’s basement bedroom, pick her up, exit the house, and make it partway across the front lawn before dad came out and demanded he hand her over to him. The intruder did so, then fled. If dad had been a few seconds delayed…this could have been another “missing child’s body found” story.

The intruder is Troy Morley, 48. He was stupid enough to break into another house shortly after this incident, just a few blocks away, entering through a doggie door. Good thing he wasn’t bright enough to figure that a doggie door means a dog lives there and will start bark its head off at his presence.

And yes, that’s how the house’s owner knew he was there; the dogs barked. By this time, police were already nearby searching for the scumbag, and a police dog bit him in the shoulder after the house’s occupants called out for help.

Police said that the attempted abduction was random and still don’t know if Morley knew ahead of time a little girl lived there, or if he decided to kidnap her on a whim upon discovering her bedroom while looking for things to steal.

Though one account says that the little girl was “talking,” a neighbor says that her younger sibling heard screams. The girl’s family is keeping a low profile and trying to get on with their life as normally as possible. No doubt, the parents will never go to bed with an unlocked door ever again.

It took this incident to inspire a couple down the street to consider a home security system. April Parry has three kids and says in the AP article, “That is your biggest fear as a parent.” But don’t wait till someone tries to abduct a child down the street to get an alarm system! Get one NOW. Sociopaths aren’t waiting for you to get smart.

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

How to survive off the Grid for 2 Weeks

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What with today’s technology being so integrated into everyone’s life, could YOU survive for two weeks “without anything”? Do you even have an emergency plan in place? Maybe you don’t ever have to worry about hurricanes and earthquakes where you live, but what if this Ebola thing really does get out of hand and you want to stay safe inside your house for weeks? What about a massive power outage?

What You Need for Two Weeks

  • Canned items: proteins, meals, vegetables, fruits, beans…so many kinds of foods come in cans.
  • Dairy in powdered form; canned evaporated form
  • Other canned and cupped goods like Ensure, instant oatmeal, instant soup
  • Packaged foods like chips, meal replacement bars, etc.
  • As for how much food? Depends on your and your family’s eating habits; there’s no one-size-fits-all, but the idea is to get adequate sustenance, not feast like a king. Feel free to stock up on all sorts of condiments, but for two weeks, is it really necessary to make sure you have bouillon and pickle relish?
  • Manual can opener
  • Sterno stove, though food to stay alive and healthy while two weeks off the grid need not be heated.
  • Each person needs a gallon a day; buy it bottled to eliminate risk of contamination or hassle of decontaminating it.
  • Garbage bags, plastic eating utensils, paper plates/cups, wet wipes and even an N95 mask will prove very useful.
  • Thermal underwear, gloves, hats, ear muffs, boots, blankets, walking shoes, umbrella, sunscreen, toilet paper, women’s sanitary items etc.
  • First aid kit, surplus refills of prescription drugs, OTCs, etc.
  • Flashlights, other battery operated tools like radios, and extra batteries
  • Back up your computers’ data daily if possible. Keep a photo record of all of your vital documents and personal possessions. Keep the negatives of important non-digital photos. Send duplicates of your backups to a trusted individual who lives distantly.
  • Establish a contact person who lives distantly. Each family member should have this person’s contact information (ideally memorized).
  • If your community or neighborhood ever has any emergency prep meetings, attend. If not, speak to people about emergency preparedness. Get ideas brewing.

The Futuristic secure and Smart automated Home is here

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A burglary occurs every 15 seconds. The chance of your home being broken into is higher than you’d think. The good news is that today’s alarm systems are “not your father’s alarm.”

BeOnTwenty years ago, a contractor had to spend a week tearing up your walls ceilings, and windows to retrofit a messy, hardwired security system. These alarms were so expensive that they were mainly used by businesses and rich people.

Since then, home security systems have dropped in price. They are now mostly wireless, right down to the cellular phone signal. But what makes home alarms even more exciting is that the majority of the functions are intuitive and smart.

Here’s how you can put together a home security system without the klunk and expense of 20 years ago.

  1. Did you know that a non-reinforced door can be kicked open by a 105 pound woman? The point is that a non-reinforced door is worthless even if it’s locked. Doors should have a guard plate. Next, they should have a door jam reinforcement made of steel. Make sure you have a top-flight deadbolt system. These days, deadbolts come with amazing features.
  2. If you have lots of shrubbery around doors and windows, trim them back so that they don’t conceal prowlers. Also add lighting to these areas.
  3. Years ago I witnessed some teen punks hurl bricks at a house down the street in the dark. I heard windows shattering. On the market today is shatter-proof film that will stop a brick from penetrating a window. Even if a blood-thirsty burglar manages to crack a filmed window, he’s not going to get in.
  4. Consider a wireless garage door opener that you can control with your smartphone. Otherwise, never leave your garage door opener in view inside your car.
  5. With your smartphone, you can watch your house in real time to see if there’s any suspicious activity. Wi-Fi monitoring systems will alert you via phone if the surveillance cameras detect movement or sound. Then you can see if someone is creeping around on your deck—even if you’re a thousand miles away.
  6. One of the best ways to deter crime is to make your house look occupied. You’ve certainly heard of timed lighting systems, but BeOn takes this a few steps further. Install BeOn and it will “figure out” your family’s light usage pattern, then duplicate this when the house is empty, tricking burglars who’ve been watching your house into thinking you’re still home. Now that’s smart! Check out their Kickstarter campaign and invest in the future of smart security.
  7. In addition, leave a TV or stereo on loud enough for any prowlers to hear. BeOn is developing a sounder module that will also make the home seem occupied during the day (similar to leaving TV or stereo on as previously mentioned).

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BeOn Home Security discussing burglar proofing your home on NECN. Disclosures.

15 Simple Secure Home Holiday Travel Tips

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The holidays are here, and burglars are ready for you. Are you ready for them? One of the best ways to deter home robbery is to make the burglar think you’re inside the house. Here’s how to do that: 2H

  1. The first thing to do is enforce the burglar’s favorite point of entry: the front door. Though movies usually show intruders bashing through windows (for dramatic effect), the vast majority get in through the front door. The door should be protected with a full-scale deadbolt/lock device, ideally with a built-in alarm—which can be controlled remotely.Piper, which is controlled from your iOS or Android mobile device, has a 105db alarm that can be triggered to go off when the door or window has been opened or when motion has been detected.
  2. There are “door reinforcement” devices out there that beef up your door jams from kick-ins. Google them and get them!
  3. Burglars, of course, do make break-in attempts through windows, including second story, so keep them locked at all times.
  4. Make sure the garage is always locked. Unplug garage door openers if you are gone for a while.
  5. Never pack up your vehicle for vacation in plain view; do it inside the garage with the door down. If there’s not enough room, do it late at night in the dark.
  6. Put a vacation hold on your mail and newspaper delivery.
  7. If you plan on being on vacation, arrange to have your lawn mowed (unattended lawns look like you haven’t been home for a long time) and any snowfall shoveled while you’re gone.
  8. Have a trusted person park their car in your driveway to make it seem like you’re home.
  9. Whether or not you have a dog, leave out signs that you have a large dog, but don’t be stagey about it. A large, unlabeled bowl with a few “uneaten” bits of food is more convincing than a perfectly clean bowl labeled “THOR.”
  10. Use light timing devices rather than leaving a light on the entire time while you’re gone. Piper home automation capabilities can be set up to turn lights on and off and allow you to remotely view all home activity from your mobile device.
  11. Don’t display holiday gifts to the outside world; the pile under the tree should be impossible to see from outside.
  12. And just in case someone does break in, make it hard for them to find any valuables. For instance, place your jewelry in a fast food bag in a fake wastebasket. It’s not likely a crook will think to check it for diamonds.
  13. Don’t announce your vacation plans on Facebook until after you’ve returned.
  14. Don’t say anything on your voice mail welcome that suggests you’re out, such as “we will return soon.” Instead say, “We’re unable to answer right now; please leave a message.” Better yet, say something like, “We are home, but busy right now; I’ll return your call immediately.”
  15. Get a home security system that’s remotely controlled. Piper doesn’t require a monthly monitoring fee so you can save a few bucks around the holidays.

Robert Siciliano, personal and home security specialist for Piper, the All-In-One Home Security, Video Monitoring and Automation Device, discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

10 Get Smart Home Security Tips

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The season to give is also the season to steal. Burglars are always looking for great deals—you know—the house that looks like nobody’s ever home; the house that has lots of shrubbery crowding out the doors and windows so that nobody can see the prowler spending 20 minutes trying to break in; the house with the huge Christmas tree in the window and a three-foot-high pile of gifts engulfing it.

BeOnHere’s how to make your house look very unappealing to burglars:

  1. Make it look occupied at all times. When you leave, leave some lights on. Leave a TV on so that the flickering can be seen from outside. Better yet, check the preventative BeOn burglar deterrent home security system that adds a layer of security using light and sound as deterrents to stop break-ins before they happen. Their Kickstarter campaign is rocking two Boston sports celebrities, check it out! Backing BeOn on Kickstarter helps accelerate development of these features to make the occupied home even more convincing.
  2. Don’t just automatically open the door when the doorbell rings unless you know who’s on the other side. And, it is not rude to ignore someone at your door! “But it might be a neighbor!” You’re not obligated to answer your door if you don’t know who it is. Unless you can clearly see it’s a trust person, don’t answer.
  3. When you order something to be delivered to your house, make an effort to be there to receive it so that a casing burglar doesn’t see an unattended package and think, “Nobody’s home.” Its also a good idea to set up a UPS and Fedex account to be notified of such deliveries.
  4. Keep the gifts that are under the tree invisible to the outside.
  5. If you travel, put your newspaper and mail delivery on vacation hold.
  6. If you’re traveling, notify the police that you’ll be out of town; ask them if they can drive by every so often to make sure things look okay.
  7. If you have a dog, see if you can arrange to have someone house sit so that the dog can stay at the house to bark in response to any prowlers.
  8. Don’t leave the boxes, that expensive items came in, sticking out of your rubbish at the curb. Tear them down so that they can be concealed inside the trash cans.
  9. Do not reveal your travel plans online, and instruct your kids not to.
  10. If you have a security system, put their stickers on all your windows and their sign in your yard. If you don’t have a system, get ahold of some stickers and signs anyways and put them up.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BeOn Home Security discussing burglar proofing your home on NECN. Disclosures.

15 tips to Securing your Home for the Holidays

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You know who really loves that ever-so-annoying “fall back” time change November 1? Burglars. Because it gives them an earlier start on their criminal activities because they love to work in the dark. And burglars get busier as daylight becomes shorter and the holiday season nears.

1SMany people will take precautions to prevent fires started by Christmas lights, yet will ignore security measures that can prevent a home robbery. Very strange. Though fire prevention is important, your home is, statistically, far more likely to be burglarized during the holidays than go up in smoke. So here are ways to keep the thieves away.

  1. Keep all windows locked, even on the second floor. Yes, some burglars learn climbing skills.
  2. Put security films on your windows that prevent penetration from a crow bar or baseball bat.
  3. Keep all doors locked, even in broad daylight when you’re home.
  4. Use top-flight locks and door reinforcements.
  5. Keep curtains or shades/blinds closed so that nobody can peek in and see your valuables or your hardly-imposing 120 pound frame.
  6. Always collect your mail, newspaper delivery, as soon as they arrive.
  7. Give your house that lived in look even when your home. Piper’s home automation technology, controlled viayour iOS or Android mobile device,can be set to turn your lights on and off at specific times.
  8. Put a large dog bowl on the front deck or by the front door. But don’t make it look staged by labeling it “Bear,” “Bruno” or “King.” Make it more realistic by adding a large chew toy and putting the bowl on top of a small mat. Maybe put a big leash nearby.
  9. Place a pair of men’s size 12 work boots near the door (scuff them up to make them look worn) or get them from an Army Navy surplus store.
  10. If your car is always parked outside because you don’t have a garage, place a pair of mans gloves on the front dash. Casing thieves will think twice if they think a man’s inside.
  11. Make sure no shrubbery crowds around entry points.
  12. If you have a garage, always pack and unpack gifts and stuff so nobody sees what’s going on.
  13. Don’t blab on social media about stuff you buy or that you are heading to the mall. Many crooks scan social media to see who’s doing what and when.
  14. Invest in a home security system like Piper, which requires minimal setup, no contracts and provides a clear view (via your mobile device) of what’s going on in your home when you’re not there. With its built-in motion sensor and siren, you can arm Piper to deter and alert you to intruders.
  15. Put Piper devices near your front door and back door and monitor them on your smartphone or tablet.

Robert Siciliano, personal and home security specialist for Piper, the All-In-One Home Security, Video Monitoring and Automation Device, discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

20, Yes 20 Home Safety Security Tips

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There are really so very many ways to protect and make your home safe as well as secure—ways you’d never even think of, so here they are, as well as the classic ways that many people still neglect to implement.3B

  1. Big numbers. Make sure your house’s address numbers are very visible to EMS and firefighters.
  2. Fire attractants. Don’t let dried up brush/leaves accumulate on your property.
  3. Locks. Locks are worthless if you don’t use them, so keep all doors locked (with top quality systems) even when you’re at home in the afternoon.
  4. Bad habit. Rinse cigarette butts with water before discarding. Better yet, quit. Seriously, stop it.
  5. An occupied-appearance. Grass overgrown? Several newspapers scattered in the drive? Porch light on incessantly? Duhh, the occupants are out of town. Make your home look like someone is always there. Have someone mow the grass while you’re away, park their car in your driveway, collect your newspapers, etc. Lighting fixtures that are timed to go on and off will also help.
  6. Storage. Keep firewood and other flammable items away from your house.
  7. Treat unexpected visitors like a telemarketer. If the phone rings and you think it’s a telemarketer, you wouldn’t answer it. Yet many people brazenly whip open their door when the bell rings or someone knocks without first checking to see who’s there. Always check first!
  8. Can’t fool burglars. Don’t bother hiding the spear key under the door mat or under that plastic rock. Find less classic hiding places.
  9. Treat garage door like bathroom in use: Keep the door closed at all times.
  10. Smoke alarms. Many people don’t have these, but they really do make a difference. Make sure they work, too, by testing them regularly.
  11. Escape routes. Pre-determine how you’d escape from a fire and practice the escape.
  12. Use a safe. If you hardly wear your grandmother’s valuable broach, keep it in a locked safe, along with other valuables you don’t use.
  13. Door reinforcement. Your doors jams, especially if they are wood, are flimsy and can be kicked in very easily. Beef up the jams with Door Devil door reinforcement technology. This makes kicking in doors very difficult.
  14. No notes. Never tack a note on your door saying “I’m out for just a minute.” And keep your social status updates private. Don’t tell te world you are out.
  15. The ring. When you’re out, even for short errands, turn your phone’s ringer to mute so that a prowler doesn’t hear ringing and ringing that means nobody’s home.
  16. Fire hazards. Never leave the house, even to chat with a neighbor, while a candle inside or fireplace is burning.
  17. Turn them off. Don’t leave on hot things (curling iron, stovetop, etc.) unless you’re right there using them.
  18. Charlie bar. Wedge a wooden cylinder-pole or metal one or dice-sized gadget designed for this purpose in the track of any sliding glass door or window to block it from being slid open.
  19. Don’t get trapped. Make sure any deadbolts don’t lock from the inside which could potentially trap you should there be a fire or intruder pursuing you.
  20. Keep blinds and curtains down at all times. ‘Nuff said.

Robert Siciliano is a home and personal security expert to DoorDevil.com discussing Anti-Kick door reinforcement on YouTube. Disclosures.