A friend sent me some good advice I want to share. Always be aware of how seemingly “innocent” situations can be turned against us! Not all thieves are stupid, so we need to be extra vigilant with scammers.

Long- and Short-Term Parking:

A person left their car in the long-term parking at the airport while away, and someone broke into their vehicle. Using the information on the car's registration in the glove compartment, the thieves drove the car to the owner’s home and robbed it. If leaving your car in long-term parking, do NOT leave the registration/insurance papers in it, nor your remote garage door opener.

GPS:

A person had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the grass verge adjacent to the football stadium, a parking zone specially allocated to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, cash and a GPS which was prominently mounted on the dashboard. When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and everything of value 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, what time the game was scheduled to finish and how much time they had to clean out the house. They brought a truck to empty the house of its contents. Something to consider if you have a GPS, do NOT put your home address in it. Use a nearby address (like a store or service station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else will know where you live if your GPS is stolen.

Mobile Phones:

One woman has changed how she lists contact names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag contained her mobile phone, credit card, wallet, and more. When she called her husband, 20 minutes later, from a payphone, to explain what had happened, he said, "I received your text asking about our PIN number and I've replied." The couple rushed to the bank, and the staff advised them all their money was already withdrawn. The thief had used the stolen mobile phone to text "hubby" in the contact list, got hold of the PIN number and in less than half an hour had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Purse in the Grocery Cart Scam:

A woman shopping at a local supermarket left her handbag sitting in the children's seat of the cart while she reached for something off a shelf. Her purse was stolen, and she reported it to the store security personnel. After returning home, she received a phone call from the supermarket security to say that they had her purse and that although there was no money in it, it did still hold her papers. She immediately went to pick up her wallet, only to be told by security that they had not called her. By the time she returned home again, her house had been broken into. The thieves knew that by calling and saying they were security, they could lure her out of her house long enough for them to burglarize it.

Fuelling Your Car:

While you are parked at the gas station, refuelling your car, make sure you lock the vehicle and do not leave a purse or phone on the passenger seat. Chances are while you are not looking, a thief may open your passenger door and take your purse, money, phone or anything of value within sight. Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings.

Withdrawing Money at the ATM:

Make sure that when you withdraw money, no one is behind you to memorise your PIN. Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings.

Moral Lesson:

Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your mobile phone contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mum, etc.

When sensitive information is requested via text, always call back to confirm. Also, when you are 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 do not reach them, be very careful about going places by yourself to meet "family and friends" who text you.

Even if the information above does not pertain to you, please share it with your family and friends so they do not get caught in a scam.