GPS & Cell Phone Safety Warning

TweedleDebo

Not all thieves are stupid.

This gives us something to think about with all our new electronic technology.

GPS
A couple of weeks ago a friend told me that someone she knew had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard.

When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents.

Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address in it.. Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

CELL PHONES

I never thought of this.......

This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet... Etc...was stolen.

20 minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago.' When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn.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 hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.
Moral of the lesson:
Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list.

Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc....

And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back

Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that 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.

ElizabethRoad

Also, don't leave your GPS mounted on the dashboard.

_binary_jester_

Partly true

http://www.snopes.com/crime/intent/gps.asp

EmCarroll1990

Also, don't leave your GPS mounted on the dashboard.

Don't mount it on the glass at all.

TweedleDebo

Partly true

http://www.snopes.com/crime/intent/gps.asp

I can't access snopes here. What does it say?

TweedleDebo

Also, don't leave your GPS mounted on the dashboard.

Don't mount it on the glass at all.

Yeah I usually have mine resting in my cup holder.

Sl1ghtly

Never leave home. Keep the doors locked. Hide under the bed and cry. Embrace your inner sissy.

EmCarroll1990

Never leave home. Keep the doors locked. Hide under the bed and cry. Embrace your inner sissy.

Or they could simply just get a big dog. We've got a Rottie, though he's a huge softie, when he's bigger he'll look intimidating.

TheRoadDog

Partly true

http://www.snopes.com/crime/intent/gps.asp

Love Snopes.

People have stopped emailing stuff to me that they got in their emails and then passed along without checking. I always check, then if it's bullsh*t, I send it back to thay person, and copy everyone they copied, with the details.

TweedleDebo

Partly true

http://www.snopes.com/crime/intent/gps.asp

Love Snopes.

People have stopped emailing stuff to me that they got in their emails and then passed along without checking. I always check, then if it's bullsh*t, I send it back to thay person, and copy everyone they copied, with the details.

Haha I usually do that, too. This in particular may or may not have happened, but it COULD happen. That is the only reason I even shared it.

LuckyLeprechaun

Partly true

http://www.snopes.com/crime/intent/gps.asp

Love Snopes.

People have stopped emailing stuff to me that they got in their emails and then passed along without checking. I always check, then if it's bullsh*t, I send it back to thay person, and copy everyone they copied, with the details.

I WISH that strategy worked on my Dad. I've even added messages telling him, Daddy, seriously, Snopes takes two seconds to check, stop sending out this crazy crap, it makes you look stupid! But alas, he forwards every c0ckamamie email he gets.

My1985Freckles

Never leave home. Keep the doors locked. Hide under the bed and cry. Embrace your inner sissy.

Or they could simply just get a big dog. We've got a Rottie, though he's a huge softie, when he's bigger he'll look intimidating.

I have a Rottie! He's 17 months and a total sissy! He has morning cuddle time with mommy. His little sister (1 yr. old beagle in two weeks is about a quarter of his size) terrorizes him! She hangs on his neck all the time and is very ferocious! We've decided that his catch phrase is "I'm scared!" lol

EmCarroll1990

Never leave home. Keep the doors locked. Hide under the bed and cry. Embrace your inner sissy.

Or they could simply just get a big dog. We've got a Rottie, though he's a huge softie, when he's bigger he'll look intimidating.

I have a Rottie! He's 17 months and a total sissy! He has morning cuddle time with mommy. His little sister (1 yr. old beagle in two weeks is about a quarter of his size) terrorizes him! She hangs on his neck all the time and is very ferocious! We've decided that his catch phrase is "I'm scared!" lol

Our's is only 3 1/2 months old, and we've got an 11 year old Jack Russell who'd probably put up more of a fight if an intruder came into my house than our Rottie. But hey, at least they LOOK scary :P

Pocket_Pixi

I acutally do not have normal names for anyone in my cellphone - most of them are nicknames some are last names but even my mom contact isn't named mom - and hasn't been since i was 22.

I do however have 3 different I.C.E. contacts, just incase there is an emergency and someone else has to phone them for me.

TweedleDebo

I have ICE in mine, too. My contacts are automatically filled out by my Facebook sync.