I know that this is supposed be a health-related article, but I received an email from a friend this morning that I thought was worth passing on. And I guess it could be considered health because if this ever happened to you, you might explode!
I’m not sure if these stories are true or not, but I know one thing – if it has been thought of, then surely someone can actually do it. Read and maybe be a bit more cautious!
Not all thieves are stupid!
1. Some people left their car in the long-term parking at San Jose while away and someone broke into it. Using the information on the car’s registration in the glove compartment, they drove the car to the people’s home in Pebble Beach and robbed it. So, if you’re going to leave your car in long-term parking, you should NOT leave the registration/insurance cards in it, nor your remote garage door opener.
2. Someone’s car was broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green adjacent to the football stadium allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, money, and a GPS that had been mounted on the dashboard. When the victims got home, they found their house had been ransacked and robbed. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house, and then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, and what time the game would be over, so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house.
If you have a GPS – don’t put your home address in it; put a nearby address like a store or gas station.
3. One lady changed her habit of how she lists her names on her cell phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. Twenty minutes later, when she called her hubby from a pay phone to tell him what had happened, hubby says “I received your text asking about our Pin number and I replied a little while ago.” When they rushed to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text “hubby” in the contact list and got the pin number. Within 20 minutes, he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.
Moral of the story:
A. Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc.
B. Very important, when sensitive info is being asked through texts – CONFIRM by calling back.
C. Also, when friends or family text you to meet them somewhere, call back to confirm the message came from them. If you don’t reach them, be very careful about going places to meet “family and friends” who text you.
4. A lady went grocery shopping at a local mall and left her purse sitting in the children’s seat of the cart while she reached something off a shelf – wait until you read the WHOLE story! Her wallet was stolen, and she reported it to the store personnel. After returning home, she received a phone call from mall security to say they had her wallet and that although there was no money in it, it did still hold her personal papers. She immediately went to pick up her wallet, only to be told by mall security that they had not called her. By the time she returned home again, her house had been burglarized. The thieves knew that by calling and saying they were mall security, they could lure her out of her house long enough for them to burglarize it.