Crime Prevention Recommendations for Senior Citizens

Personal Safety at Home

Safety at the Door

• When someone knocks at your door, don’t open it unless you know your visitor. • Have a through-the-door viewer installed on each exterior door. • If the person is a representative, salesman, etc., ask that identification and credentials be slipped under the door or through the mail slot. Call the employer to verify the name and business. Refuse to deal with anyone who won’t comply with this request. • Someone may knock at your door and ask to use your telephone to make an emergency call.

Never open the door.

Take the message and make the call for them.

• If someone comes to your door who you do not trust or who you believe might be dangerous, call your local police or sheriff’s department immediately.

Returning Home

• If you find your door ajar or if you hear unusual sounds inside, DON’T GO IN! • Go to the nearest telephone and call your local police or sheriff’s department. • If your home has been burglarized, DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING UNTIL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ARRIVES! • If you enter your home and find a burglar there, leave if you can.

- If the intruder is armed, sit down quietly and obey instructions.

- DO NOT resist or fight.

- Observe the intruder closely to obtain a description for the responding law enforcement officer.

- When the intruder leaves, call your local police or sheriff’s department immediately.

Telephone Safety

• If you receive frequent “wrong number” calls, hang up calls, late night calls from strangers, or other nuisance calls, call the security representative at your local telephone company. • If a telephone call is obscene, hang up the telephone but don’t slam the receiver down. • If a telephone call is threatening, contact your local law enforcement agency immediately. • Never allow yourself to be drawn into a conversation with an unknown caller in which you reveal your name, address, marital status or anything to indicate you are alone. • Don’t let a caller know you are angry or upset. This is the reaction they want and will often encourage them. • Don’t play detective and extend the call attempting to find out who is calling. This may be the reaction the caller wants or needs. • Don’t try to be a counselor. The annoying or malicious caller probably needs professional help, but he/she may only be encouraged by your concerns and will continue calling.

Deterring the Burglar

• Your Keys

- Never carry identification tags on your key ring or holder.

- Don’t hide a spare key outside your door, under the door, mat, in the mailbox, in the flower box, over the door, the burglar knows where to look.

• Door Locks

- Always lock your exterior doors, both when you are at home and away.

- Most law enforcement experts agree the best kind of exterior door lock is a deadbolt lock with a 1- inch bolt. This should be a double-cylinder deadbolt that requires a key on both the outside and the inside of the door. The deadbolt can be either horizontal or vertical (also called a rim lock) which describes the direction in which the bolt drops.

- Avoid chain locks. They are too easily broken. If you want to see who is on the other side of the door, install a wide-angle viewer in your door.

• The Door Itself

- Solid core wood (at least 1 ¾” thick) or metal exterior doors are highly recommended. Hollow core doors and doors with glass panes can be easily smashed and forced open.

- For sliding doors, place a broomstick or an aluminum bar in the door track so it won’t be easy to force open.

- Also for sliding doors, to prevent someone from prying them from their tracks, insert a couple of screws through the track into the frame with their heads protruding just far enough so the door clears.

- For exterior doors, if there is more than a 1/8” clearance between the door and the frame, bolt a sturdy metal strip to the door edge or replace it.

• Windows

- To secure traditional double-hung windows, drill a hole at a slightly downward angle through the first sash and into, but not through, the second (back sash). Then slip a large nail or eyebolt into the hole. The nail or eyebolt can be easily removed from the inside to open the window.

• Lighting

- All exterior entrances or doorways, garages and even alleys should be well lighted. - In apartment buildings, stairways, and corridors, laundry rooms, locker rooms, areas under stairwells, garages and any “nooks and crannies” should be well lighted.

• Outdoor Trees and Shrubbery

- Bushes and plant growth, particularly near doors and windows should be trimmed at a height of more than two feet (24”) from the ground. - Trees should be trimmed at a height no less than six feet from the lowest hanging branch to the ground. - Trees should not be allowed to be so dense as to block exterior pole lighting.

• Home Alarm Systems

The are four situations in which a comprehensive electronic security alarm system is recommended.

1. If the homeowner has expensive valuables that need protection; 2. If burglaries are a chronic problem in the neighborhood; 3. If the homeowner is away from the home for long periods of time or frequently; and 4. If there are no nearby neighbors.

• Minimize the Risk

- Direct deposit Social Security, pension or other regular incoming checks. - Avoid keeping large amounts of cash in the home. - Place valuable jewelry, convertible securities and other important papers in a safe deposit box. - Participate in Operation Identification and mark valuables. - Appraise and photograph jewelry, precious antiques and artwork.

• Special Tips for Apartment Dwellers

- Become acquainted with your neighbors. - Never buzz visitors into the building via the automatic door opening intercom without first confirming their identity. - Don’t enter an elevator with a stranger if you are suspicious or uncomfortable.

• When You Are Away

- When you leave your home or apartment for a prolonged period of time, discontinue your newspaper and other deliveries by phone or in person ahead of time. Do no leave notes. - Have your lawn mowed. - Notify the post office to hold or forward your mail or have a trusted person pick it up daily. - Put lights both inside and outside the house on timers. Also, place one or more radios or TV’s on timers so they will periodically come on. - Turn the volume on the telephone down so it cannot be used as a cue that no one is home.

While You Are Out

Deterring the Street Criminal

• Purse Snatchers, Pickpockets, and Muggers

- Purse-Snatchers are most frequently teenagers who prey upon persons in crowded places. - The pickpocket attempts to steal a wallet when the owner is distracted in a crowd. - The mugger looks for victims in out-of-the-way and secluded places.

• Recommendations

- Carry as little cash as possible and carry credit cards in a concealed coat or chest pocket. - For a woman with a purse, carry it close to the body, preferably in front. If the purse has a clasp, cover it with your hand. Don’t wrap the strap of the purse around your wrist. Never leave a purse unattended. - If your carry both packages and a purse, put the purse between your body and the packages. - Avoid carrying a wallet in a back or side pocket. - If a robber attempts to snatch your purse:

Don’t resist Give the robber what he wants Set down to avoid injury Observe the robber as closely as possible to get a description for the police Never purse the attacker After sitting down, make noise by calling for help Carry a whistle and blow it repeatedly

• When Walking

- Plan your route and stay alert to your surroundings. - Never exhibit or flash large sums of cash or other valuables. - If you must walk at night, choose the busiest and best-lit streets. - Walk with a companion, whenever possible. - Greet familiar people, merchants and vendors. - Stay away from buildings and walk next to the street. - Avoid dark places, short cuts, alleys, thick trees and shrubs and sparsely traveled areas. - Be wary of strangers who attempt to start meaningless or odd conversations.

• In Stores

- Don’t display cash except in small amounts. - Don’t leave a purse unattended, in a shopping cart or on a counter while examining an item. Don’t get separated from a purse in a crowded restroom. - If you are purchasing something and opening your purse, don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Close it as quickly as possible. - Always make sure you retrieve a credit card from a clerk after using it.

• When Using Public Transportation

- Don’t wait alone at a transit stop any longer than necessary. - Carry exact change in your hand. - Stand in view of other passengers. - Sit in the front of the vehicle near the driver or in the middle of the car away from doors. - When arriving by taxi, ask the driver to wait until you are inside before driving way.

• Safety in Your Car

- Keep your gas tank full and your vehicle’s engine well maintained to avoid breakdowns. - Always lock your car doors, even when you’re inside, and keep your windows rolled up. - Lock packages and other valuables in the trunk. Do not leave them on the back seat or on the floor of the vehicle where potential thieves can see them. - When you return to your car, always check the front and back seat before your get in. - Never pick up hitchhikers. - If your car breaks down, pull over to the right as far as possible, raise the hood, and wait inside for help. Do not get out of the car or roll down the window until the police arrive. - Don’t leave your purse on the seat beside you when driving. Place it on the floor. - When you arrive at home, keep the headlights on until you have the car in the garage and the house door unlocked. - Although they are an expense, it is recommended you have a portable cellular telephone in your motor vehicle. They can be invaluable if you have mechanical problems, are involved in or witness an accident, feel threatened etc. - If you purchase gas or go inside to pay for it, take your vehicle keys with you. - Don’t keep your car keys on the same ring as your house keys. If your car is stolen with the keys in it, you don’t want the thief to also have the keys to your home. - When stopped at traffic lights, be aware of diversions. A criminal may try to sell a vehicle driver something or perhaps beg money, while a second criminal reaches in a window or enters the vehicle from the passenger side. - Do not rent vehicles that are clearly marked as rental vehicles. Thieves often target rentals because they believe tourist who carry a lot of money drive them.

Deterring Con Games and Consumer Fraud

Con Games

Con games are schemes perpetuated by confidence artists. They are often charming and persuasive and are usually well dressed and intelligent. Con artists frequently promise “incredible bargains” or “quick money.” The con artist frequently sees senior citizens as an easy target. Many senior citizens live on social security and pensions supplemented by savings. They may be looking for ways to increase their incomes through investments, home business opportunities or retirement properties.

Tips for Senior Citizens

• The first thing to remember- and to always bear in mind- anything that sounds too good to be true probably is. • If you receive a telephone call from someone telling you you’ve won a prize and asking for payment to buy something, for processing or administrative fees, for customs, taxes, or for any other reason, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate sweepstakes or prize offers don’t ask for payment because it’s illegal. • If a person says you have to take the offer immediately or you’ll miss the opportunity, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate companies don’t pressure people to act without time to look into the deal. • If a caller refuses to send you written information before you commit to anything, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate companies are always glad to send information about what they are offering. • If a caller claims you can make huge profits in an investment with no risk, it’s probably a scam. Because all investments are risky and legitimate companies must tell consumers about the possible risks involved. • If a caller claims you can make huge profits through a franchise or other business opportunity with little or no efforts, it’s probably a scam. Because all business ventures require knowledge and effort on the part of buyers, and no legitimate companies would guarantee profits. • If a caller asks for a donation but won’t tell you exactly how the money will be used and how you can verify the charity and what it does, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate charities are willing to say what percentage of contributions are used for services and how much goes to overhead and fundraising. They are also willing to tell consumers who they can check with to confirm that the charity is legitimate. • If a caller insists you send your payment by a private courier or wire money, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate companies don’t try to keep people from checking the deal out and changing their minds, or try to evade the postal authorities by demanding immediate payment by courier or wire. • If a company asks for cash, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate companies don’t ask for cash; but con artists do. They often have trouble obtaining merchant approval from credit card companies, and they also want to be difficult to trace. • If a caller asks for your social security number, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate companies do not request your social security number unless you are applying for credit and they need to check your credit report. • If a caller asks for your credit card number, bank account number, or other financial information when you aren’t buying anything or paying with those accounts, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate companies only ask for financial information to bill you or debit your account for purchases you have agreed to make. • If a company calls you relentlessly or after you’ve asked not to be called anymore, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate companies will take “no” for an answer and will take you off their calling lists if you ask. Con artist will keep calling to wear you down or get more money from you. • If a company offers to get a loan, or credit, a or a credit card or to “repair your bad credit if you pay an up-front fee, it’s probably a scam. Because legitimate lenders and credit card companies do not demand payment in advance, and no one can get bad information removed from a credit file if it is accurate.

Con Artist Schemes

Con games are schemes perpetuated by confidence artists. They often see senior citizen as easy targets and use their charm and persuasive powers to separate the victim from his or her money. The following are among the more frequent schemes used by con artists.

The Pigeon Drop

• The victim is approached by a stranger and engaged in a conversation. When the con artist has gained the victim’s confidence, he/she mentions a large amount of money that they or an acquaintance has found. • A second person joins the stranger and they discuss that whoever lost the money probably came by it unlawfully. • One of the con artists indicates he/she works in the area and decides to contact his/her employer for “advise.” • He/she returns in a few minutes and states that his/her employer has counted the money and verified the amount and said they should keep and divide the money three ways. • They are then instructed to each put up “good faith” money to show evidence of financial responsibility and good faith before collecting a share. • The victim is then induced to withdraw his/her share from their bank and the con artist takes the money to his/her “employer.” • The con artist then disappears and the “employer” cannot be found.

The Bank Examiner

• A phony bank or savings and loan “investigator” contacts the victim and asks for his/her help in catching a dishonest employee. • The victims is asked to go to their bank, make a cash withdrawal and then turn the money over to the bank examiner who will verify the serial numbers and catch the suspected employee. • When the money is turned over to the phony bank examiner or “investigator” he or she disappears with it.

Lottery Ticket Scam

• A con artist will approach an individual and explain they have purchased a winning lottery ticket but cannot collect the lottery prize because he/she is an illegal alien. • The victim is offered the winning lottery ticket for a substantial sum of cash. • The con artist may call an accomplice and pretend to be calling the Lottery Commission to verify the winning number. • After giving the victim the “winning” lottery ticket in exchange for cash, the con artist disappears. • Con artists using this scheme may target someone from their country or religion hoping the potential victim will be more trusting if they have something in common.

Consumer Fraud

Consumer fraud essentially refers to illegal transactions between merchants or business people and consumers. The fraud usually results in false claims, misrepresentation, over charging, failure to deliver goods or failure to return a deposit.

Home Improvement Schemes

• They offer free home inspections or surveys. • They may demand large down payments or deposits from home repairs and then disappear with the money. • They may distract the homeowner and subsequently burglarize the home. • They may quote a low price for home repairs and then inflate it dramatically after the work has begun. • They may trick senior citizens into signing home improvement loan contracts, using their homes as collateral. • Popular home improvement schemes include roofing, driveway repair, and plumbing repairs.

Prevention Includes

- Be skeptical of contractors who solicit business door to door. - Don’t rush into any home repair decision and don’t contract to have a job done immediately. - Obtain several written estimates for a proposed repair job. - Insist on seeing a contractor’s license. These are necessary in most states even for jobs like resurfacing a driveway or patching a roof. - Ask to see references for the contractor and check them out. - Obtain a detailed written contract and job estimate spelling out what will be done, when it will be done, what materials will be used and how much it will cost. - Pay as little money as possible up front. - For a large job, consider obtaining a performance bond. - Don’t allow strangers inside your home for any reason. - Inspect the work as it is being done to insure the replacements are really being installed.

Health Fraud

• “Instant cures” and “miracle” gadgets that relieve pain are often promoted. • Fake laboratory tests are offered. • Free medical diagnosis is offered by mail order that results in expensive and useless treatment. • Pain relief for arthritis sufferers is a frequent target of fraudulent practitioners.

Prevention Includes

- Consult with your doctor, local health clinic or medical society before you buy. - Be wary of “mail order” labs or clinics that offer to diagnose and cure diseased through the mail. - Only go to medical laboratories and clinics recommended by your doctor or hospital.

General Con and Fraud Recommendations

• Beware of medical cures (drugs, eyeglasses, and hearing aids, cures for arthritis and cancer and other remedies) that may be ordered through the mail. See your doctor for health problems. • Do not send money in for mail order insurance until your attorney has checked out the offer. Buy insurance from someone you trust. Buy only what you really want, need and can afford. • Never purchase property you have not seen. Have your attorney check out the property and the seller. • Avoid get-rich-quick schemes. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. • Read and understand any contract before you sign it. Don’t skip the small print and NEVER sign a blank contract or one with blanks to be filled in later. • Beware of home repair companies offering a “free inspection” of your roof, porch, wiring, etc. Do business with local firms you are acquainted with. • If you consider buying a product from a door-to-door salesperson, ask for credentials. Then call your local law enforcement agency or the Better Business Bureau and inquire about their reputation. Remember that the best advice is to deal with local businesses you know. • Be totally aware of what people are saying. Do not be rushed into anything. Ask questions. • Carefully review bills you may receive after the death of your spouse or loved one. Loss through death sometimes clouds our judgment and makes us vulnerable to phony bills, which may suddenly come to light. • Obtain a receipt for all transactions. • Be careful about any offer to combine all your bills. A debt consolidation loan may offer a low monthly payment, but the interest rates may be extremely high. • When you make contributions to charitable organizations, make sure you know exactly where the money is going. Give by check and make it payable to the organization, never the individual. • Never give your credit card, phone card, Social Security or bank account number to anyone over the phone. It’s illegal for telemarketers to ask for these numbers to verify a prize or gift. * The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Crime Prevention Recommendations for Children

For the purpose of this chapter will be defined as elementary age (grades K through 6) and lower.

Begin with the Basics

• Make sure children know their full name, address, (city and state), and telephone number including area code. • Be sure children know how to call 9-1-1 and now to use a pay telephone. • Teach children never to accept rides or gifts from someone they don’t know. • Teach children to go to a store clerk, security guard or police officer for help if lost in a mall or store or on a street. • Children should be accompanied to public rest rooms. • Teach children that no one, not even someone they know, has the right to touch them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable. Tell them they have the right to say “NO” in this situation. • Show children safe places they can go in your neighborhood in an emergency like a trusted neighbor’s house. • Inspect your neighborhood for areas that threaten children’s safety, like brush in wooded areas, overgrown shrubbery, poor lighting, etc.

At School and Play

• Encourage children to walk and play with friends, not alone. Tell them to avoid places that could be dangerous---vacant building, alleys, new construction, wooded areas, etc. • Make sure children take the safest routes to and from school, stores, and friend’s houses. • Teach children to walk confidently and to be alert to what’s going on around them. • Tell children to avoid strangers who may hang around playgrounds, public restrooms, empty buildings, etc. • Teach children to always take the same way home from school. • Children should not walk next to curbs. • Children should not wear expensive jewelry or clothing to school. • A child should check in with a parent or trusted neighbor as soon as they arrive home from school someone should know if they are staying late at school. • Parents should take time to listen carefully to children’s fears and feelings about people or places that scare them or make feel uneasy. Tell them to trust their instincts. Take complaints about bullies seriously. • Children should be taught to settle arguments with words, not fists or weapons. • Children should be taught never take guns, knives or other weapons to school. They should be taught to tell a school official immediately if they see another student with a gun, knife, or other weapon.

At Home Alone

• Children should check in with a parent or trusted neighbor immediately after arriving home. • Children should carry their house key on them in a concealed place. It should not be left hidden outside the house. • Children must be taught to use the door and window locks and alarm system, if there is one. • Children should know never allow anyone into the home without the parent’s permission. • Children should never let a caller at the door or on the telephone know that they are alone. • Children must be taught how to escape a house in case of fire. • Children should be taught not to go into an empty house or apartment if things don’t look right—a broken window, ripped screen or open door, for example. • Parents should take the time to talk to children about the deadly consequences of guns, medicines, power tools, drugs, alcohol, cleaning products and inhalants. These items should be in a secure place out of sight and locked up. • When home alone, children be able to easily locate key telephone numbers:

- Parent’s work numbers(s) - Numbers of relatives or trusted neighbors. - Police and fire department. - Poison Control Center

Halloween Safety Tips

• Children should:

- Cross streets only at corners. - Never cross between parked cars. - Carry a flashlight or glow stick. - Walk facing oncoming traffic if there is no sidewalk. - Set limits on when children should return home. - Consider purchasing Halloween treats other than candy. Stickers, erasers, crayons, pencils and sealed packages of raisins and dried fruits are good choices. - Make sure trick-or-treaters will be safe when visiting your home. Remove lawn decorations and sprinklers, toys and bicycles or anything that might abstract your walkway. Provide a well lit outside entrance to your home. Keep family pets away from trick-or-treaters. - Explain to children the difference between tricks and vandalism. - Instruct children NOT to eat treats until they return home and parents have had a chance to inspect those treats.

Costume Safety Tips

• Costumes, masks, beards and wigs should be flame resistant. • Costumes should be light, bright and clearly visible to motorists. • Make-up is safer than a mask, which can obscure vision. • Avoid oversize and high-heeled shoes that can cause a child to trip. • The child’s name, address and phone number should be placed on trick-or-treat bags in case of an accident or lost child. • Children should carry a flashlight to easily see and be seen. • Trick-or-treat bags should not be too large; they can obscure vision or cause a child to trip. • Costumes should have reflective strips.

Halloween Hazards

• Dangerous roadways • Dangerous dress, i.e., loose costumes, unsafe shoes, bulky trick-or-treat bags, masks reduce vision, sharp or pointed toy weapons, dark costumes. • Open Flames • Treacherous “treats”—razor blades in apples (all fruit should be washed and cut into small pieces before eaten), tacks or poison in popcorn (discard unpackaged popcorn). • Do not allow children to carve pumpkins.

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

• Talk to your child every day and take time to really listen and observe. Learn as many details as you can about your child’s activities and feelings. Encourage him or her to share concerns and problems with you. • Let your child know that he or she can tell you anything, and that you’ll be supportive. • Teach your child that no one—not even a teacher or close relative—has the right to touch him or her in a way that feels uncomfortable, and that it’s okay to say no, get away, and tell a trusted adult. • Don’t force kids to kiss or hug or sit on a grown-ups lap if they don’t want to. This gives them control and teaches them that they have the right to refuse. • Always know where your child is and who he or she is with. • Tell your child to stay away from strangers who hang around playgrounds, public restrooms and schools. • Be alert for changes in your child’s behavior that could signal sexual abuse such as sudden secretiveness, withdrawal from activities, refusal to go to school, unexpected hostility toward a favorite baby-sitter or relative or increased anxiety. Some physical signs of abuse include bed-wetting, loss of appetite, venereal disease, nightmares, and complaints of pain or irritation around the genitals. • If you child is a victim of any crime, from stolen lunch money to sexual abuse, don’t blame him or her. Listen and offer your sympathy.

Fingerprinting Programs

Many national, state and local organizations have sponsored fingerprinting programs for children. The purpose of the fingerprinting program is to provide a means of identifying a child. Law enforcement agencies also sponsor such efforts as community service program.

Have You Seen this Child?

Businesses often help law enforcement agencies in locating and identifying missing and abducted children. Dairy companies publish the picture and description of missing children on the side of milk containers. Some trucking companies place the pictures of missing children on the back of tractor-trailers. Some businesses sponsor billboards with missing children’s pictures and cable television companies sometimes publicize lost or missing children.

Cybersafety for Children

The Internet has opened up a world of information for children. It also exposes them to risks. Children can be the targets of crime and exploitation as they use online Internet services.

What Are the Risks?

• Exposure to Inappropriate Material. Children may be exposed to inappropriate material of a sexual or violent nature. • Physical Molestation. While online, a child might provide information or arrange a meeting that could risk his/her safety. • Harassment. Children on the Internet may encounter electronic mail or bulletin board messages that are harassing or threatening.

Recommendations for Parents

• Teach children not to give out identifying information such as name, password, parent’s name, home address, and school name or telephone number in a chat room or bulletin board. Also, be careful about revealing such information via e- mail. Make sure you know with whom you are communicating. • Know the Internet services your child uses. Learn how to block out objectionable material. • Never permit a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with another compute user without parental permission. If such a meeting is arranged, make it in a public location and a parent should accompany the child. • Teach children not to respond to messages or bulletin board items that are suggestive, obscene or threatening. They should be encouraged to tell the parent if they encounter such messages. • If the parent becomes aware of the transmission, use or viewing of child pornography on the Internet, they should immediately report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1-800-843-5678) and the online service provider. • It is suggested that the computer with Internet access should be kept in a family room rather than in a child’s bedroom. • Children should not be allowed to send a picture of themselves to anyone without the parent’s permission. • Children should have rules and guidelines for their computer use. Compliance with these rules should be monitored by the parent. Children should not be allowed to have excessive use of online services or bulletin boards, especially at night. • Children should never be allowed to enter an area on the Internet that charges for services without permission of the parent. • Parents should make sure that access to the Internet at their children’s school is monitored by adults. • If a child’s friend has Internet access at home, talk to the parents about the rules they have established. * The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Crime Prevention Recommendations for Adolescents

For the purpose of this chapter, adolescents will be defined as junior and senior high school students (grades 7-12).

Teen Dating Violence

Dating violence or abuse affects one in 10 teen couples. Abuse includes not only hitting but also yelling, threatening, name calling, obsessive phone calling and extreme possessiveness.

What the Victim Can Do

• Tell your parents, a friend, a counselor, a clergyman, or someone else whom you trust and who can help. The more isolated you are from friends and family, the more control the abuser has over you. • Alert the school counselor or security officer. • Do not meet your partner alone. Do not let him or her in your home or car when you are alone. • Avoid being alone at school, your job, on the way to and from places. • Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back. • Plan and rehearse what you would do if your partner became abusive.

Teens Helping Teens

Teens or adolescents who are the victims of abuse or dating violence often talk to other teens about their problems. When this occurs, the following are suggestions for the friend:

• If you notice a friend is in an abusive relationship, don’t ignore signs of abuse. Talk to a friend. • Express your concerns. Tell your friend you’re worried. Support, don’t judge. • Point out your friend’s strengths-many people in abusive relationships are no longer capable of seeing their own abilities and gifts. • Encourage them to confide in a trusted adult. Talk to a trusted adult if you believe the situation is getting worse. Offer to go with them for help. • Never put yourself in a dangerous situation with the victim’s partner. Don’t be a mediator. • Call the police if you witness an assault. Tell an adult-a school principal, parent, or guidance counselor.

Baby Sitter Guide

Teens or adolescents often work as sitters for younger children. When they do, they should adhere to the following guide:

Before You Accept

• Know your employer. Don’t accept the job if you don’t know the person calling. Find out who recommended you for the job. • Check with your parents and see if they know the family. Ask for the person’s phone number and call back after you’ve checked.

Be Professional

Baby sitting is a job. Be businesslike and explain the days and hours you are available. How much experience you have had (older children, infants, etc). What you charge per hour. Try to arrange a visit to the home to meet the parents and children. Make arrangements for transportation to and from the job. Even if it’s only a short walk from your home, an adult escort might be a good idea. Determine at the outset exactly what you will be doing to earn your fee. Will your duties go beyond baby-sitting and into household chores?

Write it down

• Parent’s name, phone number and address • Number of children, their names, and ages • Time of arrival at job and estimated length of stay • Leave your parents a note with the name, phone number and address of the family for whom you will be baby sitting and the time you expect to be home.

When You Arrive

Get as much information as you can and write it down.

• Where will the parents be? Get the phone numbers of theaters, restaurants or friends the parents will be visiting. What time do they expect to return? • Ask for the name and phone number of both the family doctor and a neighbor or friend. You should also have emergency phone numbers for the police, fire department and poison control center. • Ask instructions on handling incoming phone calls. For maximum security, you should never tell a caller that you are home alone with the children. Explain to the caller that there is an adult at home but they are unable to come to the phone. Then, ask if you can take a message and phone number. • Be sure doors and windows are locked and ask which lights should be left on if you’re to stay late at night. • Is there a fire escape, fire extinguisher or second exit?

Ask to Be Sure

• What time is bedtime? • Children’s use of the TV, radio or record player. • Find out about diapers, baby bottles, meals, snacks, checking homework, whether or not friends of the children can visit.

While You’re There

• Never open the door to strangers. • Check and lock doors and windows. • Be aware of strange noises, prowlers at the windows, unusual phone calls. • If the child is taking some type of medication, determine the time of the last dosage as well as the time for the next. • If you take the children outside, Never talk to strangers. Be extra careful near swimming pools, roads, and strange animals. • If you hear any suspicious noises, check them out by turning on the outside lights. Do not go outside. If you suspect someone is there, call the police immediately. • If you receive unusual or obscene telephone calls do not let the caller know you are alone. Hang up and call the police. • If someone comes to the door requesting to use the telephone, do not let them in the house. Make the call for them. If they attempt to enter, call the police.

In Case of Fire

• Get the children out of the house immediately. Stay close to the floor to avoid deadly smoke and fumes. Feel doors to see fi they are hot. There may be fire on the other side. When everyone is out, go to a neighbor’s house and call the Fire Department.

Avoid Accidents

• Pick up toys or other objects on stairs or in passageways. • Know the location of medicines, cleaning and electrical outlets, and keep children from them. • If the house is suddenly quiet, check immediately, they could be up to something.

You Are a “Guest”

• Don’t tie up the telephone with calls to friends. The parents may be trying to reach you. • Don’t allow friends to visit. • Stay out of closets, desk drawers, and personal papers. • Enjoy only those snacks that you have been offered.

When the Parents Return

• Tell them about any problems encountered during your stay, either with the children or otherwise. • Give the parents all messages taken during your stay. • If, for any reason, you should feel uncomfortable with the parent who is to escort you home, insist on calling your own parents to make other arrangements.

Cyber-Safety for Adolescents

Adolescents have numerous opportunities to access the Internet, at home, at school, a friend’s house, libraries, museums, etc. By knowing the dangers and how to avoid them, they can take advantage of all the positive aspects of the Internet while bypassing most of its pitfalls.

Teenagers are more likely to get into trouble on the Internet than are younger children. Teens are more likely to explore obscure locations in cyberspace and possibly be preyed upon by pedophiles and other exploiters.

What are the Risks?

• Exposure to Inappropriate Material. There are web sites, newsgroups and chat rooms online that provide exposure to material that is sexual and/or violent in nature, that espouse hateful attitudes or discuss activities that are repulsive or unpleasant. • Physical Danger. The possibility exists that the teenager or adolescent may experience physical danger because of information they post about themselves on the Internet. While the number of teens who are molested, abducted or leave home as a result of contacts made on the Internet are relatively low, when it happens the results can be tragic. • Exposure to Financial Risk. Teens may become the victims of “get rich quick” schemes on the Internet. • Harassment. Adolescents using the Internet may encounter material, especially in chat rooms or bulletin boards that can be harassing, demeaning, abusive, obscene, lewd or indecent.

Recommendations for Teens

• Keep Your Identity Private. Particularly in chat rooms and bulletin boards, avoid giving out your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and name of your school or any other information that could help someone determine your actual identity. • Do Not Get Together With People You Meet Online. There is never a guarantee that someone you meet online is who they say they are. If you feel it is appropriate to have an actual meeting with someone you have corresponded with online, discuss the matter with your parents and do not go to the meeting by yourself. Meet the person in a public place, preferably with a parent or other adult present. • Never Respond To Inappropriate E-Mail, Chat Comments or Newsgroup Messages. If a message is hostile, belligerent, and aggressive or in any way makes you feel comfortable don’t respond to it. Tell your parents or a trusted adult. • Talk to Your Parents about Ground Rules. Teens and their parents need to agree upon the ground rules for Internet use. Communicating before a problem possibly occurs is usually beneficial to all involved.

Recommendations for Parents

• Communicate with Your Teens. Talk with your teens and try to establish reasonable expectations. Attempt to understand their needs, interests and curiosity. • Encourage Your Teens to Come to You if They Encounter a Problem on the Internet. Be open with your teenagers and do not automatically blame them or take away their Internet privileges if they encounter a problem. Work with them to avoid similar problems in the future. • Learn About the Internet. Even if you don’t use the Internet, you need to be knowledgeable about it if your children do. Make “surfing the net” a family experience. Allow your children to teach you what they know about the Internet. • Check Out Blocking, Filtering and Ratings. There are services that rate web sites for content as well as filter programs. Parents can also block types of sites they consider to be inappropriate. If you choose to block or filter a site(s), explain to your children why you feel it is necessary to do.

Motor Vehicle Safety for Teens

The number one killer of teenagers is motor vehicle accidents, accounting for more than 5,000 deaths each year. Younger drivers are at the greatest risk. The 16-year old driver is 42% more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident than a teen one-year-older.

Recommendations for Teen Drivers.

• Drive sober and always ride with a sober driver. • Always wear your safety belt, even when your car is equipped with airbags or when you are traveling close to home. Insist that all passengers in your vehicle also wear their safety belts. • Be familiar with the vehicle you are driving, and use safety devices such as a sun visor, door locks, and the parking brake, when appropriate. • Be a defensive driver, be alert, and have a good attitude. Never tailgate. • Focus on your driving: avoid distractions such as loud music, talking on cellular phones, eating, or applying make-up while you are on the road. • Limit the number of passengers riding in your car. • Reduce stress by being courteous rather than competitive while driving. • Follow the traffic safety rules and drive at safe, legal speeds.

Recommendations for Parents of Teen Drivers.

• Supervise your teen’s driving time. Take time to let your teen practice behind the wheel while he or she has permit and throughout the first year of licensed driving. • Put a limit on the number of passengers allowed in the car. Teens are likely to have more trouble focusing on the road with additional passengers in the car. • Limit your teen’s driving during periods of increased risk. Friday and Saturday nights and early Saturday and Sunday mornings have the highest number of driving accidents. • Establish a house curfew: a time by which your teen must be home. • Insist that your teen and any passengers wear safety belts. • Set limits on the areas a teen can drive. • Prohibit your teen from driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • Encourage your teen to use good judgement both as a driver and as a passenger. • Be a good role model. • Support graduated licensing.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Crime Prevention Recommendations for Persons with Physical Disabilities

Persons with physical disabilities, impaired vision, hearing or mobility, face numerous physical challenges. These challenges can make them vulnerable to would be criminals who assume the disabled are less capable of protecting themselves.

The following recommendations may help a person with a physical disability from becoming the victim of a crime.

General Crime Prevention Tips

• Know and avoid situations and locations that could invite crime, i.e., dark alleys, unlit parking lots, etc. • Know the neighborhood where you live and work. Know the locations of police and fire stations, hospitals, restaurants or stores that are open and accessible. • Stay alert and aware of your surroundings, whether on the street, in an office building or shopping mall, driving or waiting for public transportation. • Decide what you plan to do in the event you are confronted, i.e., show confidence, scream, etc. • Consider your options in these situations and practice your responses so that you can recall them in a real situation. • Be realistic about your limitations. Avoid places or situations that put you at risk.

Home Security Tips

Put good locks on all your exterior doors. The majority of doors in most homes are equipped with a standard entrance latch (also called a spring latch or key-in-the- knob latch). These locking devices do not provide adequate security. They have a spring, which holds a latch in place. They can be defeated by wrenching the knob with a large pair of pliers, by sliding a credit card between the door and the frame, by kicking the door or by spreading the frame with a pry bar. These types of latches should never be depended upon alone to secure your exterior doors.

The single cylinder dead bolt lock is keyed operated from the outside only. The interior operation is thumb knob. This lock is best utilized where there is no glass in the door or within 40 inches of the lock mechanism. When purchasing a dead-bolt lock, it is important the lock have a bolt constructed of case hardened steel and that it extends one full inch out and locks into place. When fully extended, the bolt should not be able to be pushed back in by hand. Also, it is important that the hole in the door frame is sufficient depth to allow the bolt to open the full one inch, otherwise it cannot lock in place and can be pushed back with a knife or screwdriver.

A double cylinder dead bolt lock is operated with a key from both the inside and outside. It should be used on doors where there is breakable glass in the door or within 40 inches of the locking mechanism. This makes it impossible for a burglar to break the glass and reach inside to unlock the door.

For security reasons, you should not leave a key inserted in the inside portion of a double cylinder lock. At the same time, however, you should understand that without proper preparation, a double cylinder dead bolt could contribute to a fire hazard. In addition to door keys kept on your family’s key chains, an extra key should be kept close to the door (perhaps taped underneath a nearby table) where every member of the family knows its location in the event of an emergency.

Sliding glass patio doors can be among the easiest entry points for burglars. Special locks are available to secure the door against lifting and prying. Installing a “charlie bar” can help keep a sliding door from being pried open. An inexpensive means of securing a sliding door is to cut a broom handle or other wooden stick to the exact length of the exposed door track and placing it in the door track so the door itself cannot be forced open.

To prevent a sliding glass door from being lifted out of its track, it should be pinned. This can be accomplished by purchasing and installing a specially designed door pin or by drilling a hole in the doorframe and inserting a nail.

Windows can be prevented from being pried open by also pinning them. Drill a small downward sloping hole into the top of the sliding portion of the window and into the frame of the fixed or stationary part of the window. Then insert a nail or pin in the hole to prevent the window from being opened.

• All exterior doors should be either metal or solid-core wood and should be at least 1 3/8 inches thick. Doorframes usually provide limited protection against a pry-bar. Most door hinges and dead bolt lock strike plates are fastened to the door jam with ½ inch screws. You should strengthen the security of exterior doors by replacing hinge and strike plate screws with hardened steel screws, which are a minimum of 2 inches long. • Install through-the-door viewers at a convenient height on exterior doors. Be sure such a viewer is at your eye level. • Develop a positive relationship with your neighbors. Watchful neighbors can help protect you as well as themselves. • If you have difficulty speaking, have a friend pre-record a message (giving your name, address and type of disability) to use in the event of an emergency. Keep the tape recorder with this message in it near the telephone. • Never open the door of your home to a stranger. Always demand verification of a stranger’s identity and purpose for the visit. • Never tell a stranger calling by telephone that you are alone or that you are disabled. • Plan an avenue of escape from each room of your residence to use in the case of an emergency or a break-in. • Ask your local law enforcement agency to conduct a free home security survey and to help identify your individual needs.

Travel Safety

• Whenever possible, travel with someone you know. There is safety in numbers. • Leave word of your plans with a family member or friend-including your ultimate destination and estimated time of arrival. • When waiting for a bus, train or other public transportation, wait in centralized location near other passengers. • If you carry a purse, keep it close to your body, not dangling by the straps. If you have a wallet, put it in an inside coat or front pants pocket. If you use a wheelchair, keep your purse or wallet tucked snugly between you and the inside of the chair. • Always carry your medical information, in the event of an emergency. • If you have a speech or hearing impairment, always carry a card of communication symbols. • Consider having a cellular telephone or CB radio inside your vehicle. • If you are on public transportation and someone harasses you, make a loud noise or say, “Leave me alone.” If that doesn’t work hit the emergency signal on a bus or train.

Consumer Protection Recommendations

• Con artists may prey upon people’s desires to find a miracle cure for chronic conditions or fatal diseases. Remember this tips:

- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. - Don’t let greed or desperation override common sense. - Get a second opinion. - Be wary of high-pressure tactics, need for quick decisions, demand for cash only, or high-yield, low risk investments.

• Always ask for identification from all solicitors and call their agency for verification. • Don’t commit yourself to purchases or charitable donations over the phone. Ask the caller to mail the information to you so you can make an informed decision. If you are not familiar with the company or organization, consult your state’s Department of Consumer Affairs or the Better Business Bureau. • Read and understand all contracts before you sign them. If your sight is impaired, have someone you trust read the entire document to you. • Beware of anyone offering products or services at a “once in a lifetime” offer. • Consider having your checks mailed directly to your bank to avoid mail theft or robbery.

What Else Can You Do?

• Join, or help arrange, a Neighborhood Watch group. Be sure their meetings are accessible to person with disabilities. • Work with local law enforcement to improve responses to persons with physical disabilities.

For Additional Information

• Equal Opportunity Employment Commission 1801 L Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20507 800-669-3362 TDD 202-663-4900 TDD

• National Easter Seal Society 70 East Lake Street Chicago, IL 60601 800-221-6827 312-726-6200 TDD

• Paralyzed Veterans of America 801 18th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20006 800-424-8200 202-872-1300 TDD

• United Cerebral Palsy Association, Inc. 1522 K Street, NW, Suite 1112 Washington, D.C. 20005 800-USA-5UCP V/TT 202-842-1266 V/TT

• U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Civil Rights Division P.O. Box 66118 Washington, D.C. 20035-6118 202-514-0301 ADA Hotline 202-514-0983 TDD

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Bicycle Security

It is estimated that almost a half million bicycles are stolen in the United States each year. In 1996, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, bicycle theft was the only larceny category that increased. More than 1,300 bicycles are stolen in the U.S. each day, valued at an average $252. The total value of nearly 500,000 bikes stolen annually is $126 million.

Most bicycles are stolen from the home (yard, garage, porch, etc.) For every motor vehicle stolen in the U.S., three bicycles are stolen. While 66% of stolen motor vehicles are recovered, less than 20% of stolen bicycles are returned.

Reasons Bicycles are Stolen

Bicycles are normally stolen for one of four basic reasons:

• For the thief’s personal use; • As a temporary means of transportation; • So the thief can sell the bicycle or its parts as a source of money; and • For some personal reason to deny the owner of its use.

Bicycle Locks

For the vast majority of bicycle thefts, the bicycles were unlocked, improperly locked, or locked with grossly inadequate locking devices.

The bicycle owner should purchase and use a good bicycle-locking device.

• A recommended bicycle locking device consists of a three foot length of ¼ inch hardened chain together with a keyed type padlock of high quality having at least a ¼ inch hardened shackle. • Although there is no bicycle lock or chain that cannot be defeated, the “U” shape locks have proven to be reasonably effective. • A good padlock should have at least a 7/16 hardened alloy steal shackle. If the steel is hardened, the word “hardened” will be stamped on the shackle. • The lock shackle should be secured at both “heel and toe” and the locking mechanism should be of “pin-tumbler” construction.

Bicycle Locks Tested By Bicycling Magazine August 1994 Issue

Type of Lock Estimated Cost Reliability (Seconds To Break) ¼ inch cable $17.00 5 Seconds

3/8 in cable w/hardened $27.00 11 Seconds padlock

Giant U-Lock Unknown 57 Seconds

Kryptolock with Bad Bones $28-$35 1 Minute 27 Seconds

Reon Alarm Lock $50.00 1 Minute 55 Seconds Kryptonite Evolution U-Lock $49-$55 Couldn’t Break

ICS U-Lock with Bad Bones $35.00 Couldn’t Break

Quadrachain $100.00 Couldn’t Break

Kryptonite New York Lock $70-$75 Couldn’t Break

Defeating Bicycle Locks

Bicycle locking devices can be broken in a number of ways:

• A bolt cutter or hacksaw can be used to cut a lock, chain or cable. • For some “U”-Locks, leveraging devices can be inserted into the excess space, and the lock can be snapped open. • Another method involves a long pipe being placed over the locking mechanism to pry the lock open. • Car jacks can also be used to snap the shackle of a U-Lock. • Freon and other super-cold substances have been blamed for some bike thefts, but in reality this probably occurs infrequently.

Bicycle Locking Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

• When unattended, bicycles should always be locked. More bicycles are stolen from homes than from any other location. • The bicycle should be locked to an immovable object in a conspicuous, open, and well-lighted place. When locking the bicycle, at a minimum both wheels and the frame should be secured. • Lock the bicycle to a fixed, immovable object, like a parking meter or permanent bike racks that is cemented or anchored into the ground. • If a “U”- Lock is used, position the bicycle frame and wheels so that as much open space as possible within the U-portion of the lock is filled or taken up. This makes it more difficult for a thief to use tools to attack the lock. • If a “U”-Lock is used, position the bicycle frame and wheels so that as much open space as possible within the U-portion of the lock is filled or taken up. This makes it more difficult for a thief to use tools to attack the lock. • If a “U”-Lock is used, and it has a keyway on the end of the crossbar, position the lock with its keyway towards the ground. This makes it harder for the thief to access the lock. • Record all vital information for a bicycle: make, model, color, identifying marks, serial number, etc. Have this information readily available for the police in the event of a theft. This will increase the chance of recovery.

Don’ts

• Don’t lock bicycles to a small tree, aluminum or wooden posts, or chain link fences. These items can be easily broken or cut. • Don’t lock a bicycle to disability accessible ramp. • Don’t lock a bicycle to itself (the front wheel locked to the frame). A thief can simply carry it away. • Don’t position a lock low to the ground. A thief can attack the lock more easily and less obviously in that position.

Register the Bicycle

If the local law enforcement agency, school or other organization has a bicycle registration program, it is strongly recommended the bike should be registered. Doing so may help deter a thief, and can assist in the possible return of the bicycles if it is stolen. Some law enforcement agencies will allow bicycles to be registered via the Internet.

Engrave the Bicycle

The bicycle should be engraved with the owner’s social security number preceded by the state’s abbreviation. The engraving should be on the underside of the frame’s diagonal bar near the crank housing. The owner may also wish to engrave each wheel near the valve stem, the crank, deraileur, front forks, etc. Doing so may discourage the thief who would strip it for parts. The markings should be placed where they can be seen when standing on the right side of the bicycle. This makes the markings more easily seen by the thief, by the owner, by the police and all concerned. Cover the engraving with clear fingernail polish can help prevent rusting or deterioration.

Easily removable bicycle accessories should also be engraved to further discourage theft of these items. A laundry marker can be used on nylon bags.

Personalize the Bicycle

Some types of bicycles are more likely to be stolen because of the value or brand name. Mountain bikes are very popular items of theft. To give them special identity, owners of bicycles are encouraged to personalize them.

An effective technique for doing so is to remove all special names and stripes that were placed on it by the manufacturer. The owner could the paint their last name or initials on each side of the bicycle where the manufacturer’s name would normally be located. To personalize their bicycle, the owner should use a weather-resistant paint. They should not use spray paint because it can be easily removed.

The owner should take photographs of the bicycle, date the back of it and keep them with the bicycle receipts.

Bicycle Racks and Lockers

• One style frequently used is the “Sidewinder.” This rack is constructed of 2 3/8” structural steel tubing. They have both galvanized steel or powder coat finish. They are available in 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13- bike capacity models for either below ground or surface installation. • Another preferred bike rack is the Cora Bike Rack. This bike rack allows for the locking of the wheels and frame while supporting the bicycle frame. Cora Bike Rack, Inc. www.cora.com

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention

Motor vehicle theft is a serious problem in many parts of the world. In the United States, the annual loss from car theft is over $4 billion. The Automotive Information Council reports that there are over one million motor vehicles stolen in the U.S. each year. That’s one motor vehicle theft every 31 seconds.

For a variety of reasons, some motor vehicles have a greater probability of being stolen than others. As reported by CCC Information Services, Inc., the following are the 25 most stolen motor vehicles in the U.S. in 1996:

1. 1994 Honda Accord EX 2. 1988 Honda Accord LX 3. 1992 Honda Accord LX 4. 1987 Olds Cutlass Supreme 5. 1995 Ford Mustang 6. 1986 Olds Cutlass Supreme 7. 1995 Honda Accord EX 8. 1990 Honda Accord EX 9. 1989 Toyota Camry 10. 1992 Honda Accord EX 11. 1989 Honda Accord LX 12. 1991 Honda Accord EX 13. 1991 Honda Accord LX 14. 1984 Olds Cutlass Supreme 15. 1995 Toyota Corolla 16. 1987 Chevrolet Caprice 17. 1986 Cadillac Deville 18. 1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme 19. 1990 Toyota Camry 20. 1988 Toyota Camry 21. 1991 Acura Legend 22. 1995 Toyota Camry LE 23. 1991 Honda Civic 24. 1994 Honda Accord LX 25. 1990 Honda Accord Lx

Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Recommendations

• Lock it and pocket the keys. Nearly 20% of all vehicles stolen had the keys in them. Remember to lock the trunk, the hatchback or the tailgate of a station wagon or sport utility vehicle (SUV). • If your motor vehicle is an older model, replace standard door lock buttons with tapered ones. These replacements are inexpensive and much more difficult to pry up. • Don’t leave motor vehicle registration, insurance policies, credit cards or other important papers in a vehicle’s glove compartment. • If you use a self-service gasoline station or convenience store, don’t leave the keys in the vehicle when you go inside to pay your bill. • Don’t place a mini-replica of a license plate or personal identification on a vehicle’s key ring. • Consider installing safety security film on the windows. With the film added to the glass, the window will be 300% to 400% stronger. Intruders must cut their way through the glass, thus taking more time. The safety film is clear and reflects up to 98% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. • Never hide a second set of keys in the vehicle. Extra keys can easily be found if the thief takes time to look. Store a spare key in your wallet. • If possible, avoid parking next to vans, pick-ups, and other large vehicles. These large vehicles can “hide” your vehicle and make it more difficult for others to observe. • When parking along a curb, angle the front wheels sharply to the left or right, making it difficult for the thief to tow it away. Wheels should also be turned to the side in driveways and parking lots. • If your vehicle is a rear-wheel drive, back into your driveway. Rear wheels lock on four-wheel drive vehicles, making them difficult to tow. Front-wheel drive vehicles should be parked front end first. • Periodically check your license plates to make sure they haven’t been stolen switched or altered. • Join Operation Identification and engrave your driver’s license number or social security number in several concealed places on, or in your motor vehicle. Drop a business card into the window channel, beneath the seat or behind the dash panel. • Engrave batteries, wheel covers, and car stereos with either your drivers license number or social security number preceded by your state’s initials. • Don’t invite a vehicle break-in by leaving packages or valuables (radar detectors, cellular phones, compact disc players, etc.) in sight. Take valuables with you, put them under the seat or lock them in the trunk. • Whenever possible, park in well-lighted and busy areas. • Whenever possible, park in an attended lot. Motor vehicle thieves do not like witnesses and prefer unattended parking lots. • When you park in an attended lot, leave only the ignition/door key. If your trunk and glovebox use the same keys as the door, have one of them changed. Leaving the ignition key with the attendant, retain all others and be sure the key number does not appear on the key that is left. • On cold mornings, never leave your motor vehicle running while it is unattended, in order to warm up. • For each vehicle you own or lease, record the following information and keep it in a safe location (not in the vehicle):

- Make and Model - Model Year - Registration Number (Plate) - Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) - Color - Name of Insurance Company and Agent - Engine Size - Any Peculiarities of Vehicle (dents, pin stripes, etc) - Key Number

• Avoid transferring items to the trunk of a vehicle where it is to be parked. A thief may be watching. Checkbooks, credit cards or other credentials, which a thief could misuse, should not be left in a motor vehicle. • Park as close as possible to an open business • If you have a garage, use it. Lock your garage door. Also lock your vehicle doors, even when it’s in the garage. • When going out of town and leaving your motor vehicle, if possible, remove the electronic ignition fuse, rotor distributor or the coil wire. • If you see a disabled motor vehicle, don’t stop. Instead, drive to a nearby telephone and inform the police of the vehicle’s location. • If your vehicle becomes disabled, attach a white handkerchief to the door handle or window, lock the doors and stay inside the vehicle. If someone stops to help, do not open your door or window. Ask the person to please go to a telephone and call for help. • Possibly use cane type steering wheel locks. The metal can hooks around the brake pedal on one end, and around the steering wheel rim or spoke on the other. The device is drawn tight and locked with a key. • You may also use a temporary snap lock, which fits over the bulge in the steering column of late-model American cars, where the ignition switch is, and prevent the ignition from being turned on. • Don’t disconnect the buzzer that warns of the keys left in the ignition. It’s for your protection. • Possibly use a locking gas cap, not only to prevent theft of gasoline, but to limit a thief to the amount of driving he can do on one tank. • There are special locks made for various marketable parts of cars. Battery locks or wheel cover locks may save these items. • If your vehicle is not already equipped with one, install an interior hood release. • Install different locks for the door, ignition and trunk. A thief who might obtain your vehicle’s door key still won’t have the ignition key.

Anti-Theft Devices

Anti-theft devices are not foolproof, but they can stop the amateur and slow down the professional. The longer it takes to steal a car, the more attention the thief attracts, and the more likely the thief will look elsewhere. Anti-theft devices include those listed below.

• Fuel Shut-Off – This blocks gasoline flow until a hidden switch is tripped. The vehicle can only be driven a short distance, until the fuel already in the carburetor is used up. • Kill Switch- The vehicle will not start unless a hidden switch is activated. The switch prevents electrical current from reaching the coil or carburetor. Check your vehicle warranty before installing a “kill switch.” Some warranties prohibit installation of these devices, and doing so nullifies the warranty. In such cases, there is a possibility that a STARTER BYPASS SWITCH could be used without affecting the warranty. • Time Delay Switch- The driver must turn the ignition key from “on” to “start” after a precise, preset interval or the engine won’t turn over. • Armored Ignition Cutoff- A second tamper proof lock must be operated in order to start the car. “Hot wiring” (staring a car without a key) is very difficult with this device, so it is especially effective against amateur thieves. • Hood Locks- These make it difficult to get to the battery, engine, or vehicle security system. • Time Delay Fuse- Unless a concealed witch is turned off, starting the vehicle causes a sensitive fuse to burn out, cutting out power and stopping the motor. • Armored Collar- A metal shield that locks around the steering column and covers the ignition, the starter rods and the steering wheel interlock rod. • Crook Lock- A long metal bar with a hook on each end to lock the steering wheel to the brake pedal. • Audible Alarm Systems- These alarm systems are positioned in the engine to set off a buzzer, bell or siren if an attempt is made to tamper with the hood, bypass the ignition system, or move the vehicle without starting the engine. Choose a system with its own power source, and be sure it turns off and resets automatically after six to 10 minutes. Keys or code numbers to the alarm should never be given to parking lot attendants or valets. (Do no try to fool a thief with an alarm decal when no alarm exists.)

Clifford Electronics

Clifford Electronics, Inc., is one of the leading companies in the motor vehicle security business. They were the first to market motor vehicle security systems based on microprocessors. They were also the first company to successfully market the key chain remote control. They have been granted more vehicle security patents than any other company in the world.

Among Clifford Electronics motor vehicle security products an anti-carjacking device that allows the criminal to drive away with the vehicle but when the vehicle slows down for traffic or a turn, the engine is shut down and prevented from restarting. The vehicle’s lights flash and a high-output siren is activated.

Another of this company’s vehicle security products disables the starter, ignition and electronic fuel pump after a computer key is removed.

Still a further product is designed to prevent “code-grabbing” by thieves. This device randomly changes the transmitted code on a vehicle alarm system devices marketed by Clifford Electronics, access their Internet web site at: http://www.clifford.com

LoJack

LoJack is a device that does not attempt to prevent motor vehicle theft directly but is a radio-based homing device that aids in the retrieval of stolen vehicles.

The transmitter that can be installed in more than 30 different locations in a vehicle is approximately the size of a chalkboard eraser. The device costs $595.00.

If a vehicle is stolen, the owner notifies the local police and they subsequently activate a computer system that emits a radio signal that turns on the vehicle’s LoJack unit. Specially equipped police cars that have receivers pick up the vehicle’s signal and the officers identify the vehicle’s location.

LoJack is currently available in 14 states including New York, Illinois, and California. The LoJack Corporation based in Dedham, MA, claims that 90% of stolen vehicles containing their device are successfully retrieved. For additional information about LoJack, access their Internet web site at: http://www.lojack.com

Theft of Airbags

Although the rate of airbag theft from motor vehicles is still relatively small, it is increasing as the number of vehicles equipped with airbags grows. It is currently estimated by NCIC that over 600 airbags are stolen nationally per week. In May of 1998, over $2 million worth of stolen airbags were recovered in New York. In December 1997 over 1,700 stolen airbags worth close to $1 million were recovered from an auto parts store in Michigan.

To steal an airbag, the thief disconnects the vehicle’s battery and unscrews four bolts, taking less than 30 seconds.

The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) indicates that 5% from all theft from auto claims are currently airbags. They refer to theft of airbags as being, “the stereos of the 90’s.”

The market for stolen airbags is primarily salvage yards and unscrupulous mechanics who replace damaged or deployed airbags with “hot” airbags instead of factory-fresh new bags and bill the insurer for the difference. The thief may get a few hundred dollars for the stolen airbag.

This publication is not aware of any airbag protection or alarm devices. The most successful tactic appears to be for local police departments to closely inspect auto repair shops and salvage yards.

Watch Your Car Program

The U.S. Attorney General, through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), has developed a national voluntary motor vehicle theft prevention program. This program allows owners of motor vehicles to voluntarily display a decal or device, such as a state-issued, customized license plate, on their vehicles to alert police that their vehicles are not normally driven between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

The purpose of the Watch Your Car Program is to identify vehicles that are not routinely operated during the early morning hours or near international land borders or ports sot that law enforcement officers can stop and investigate suspicious vehicles.

• How Does it Work

- States and units of local government may elect to participate in the program solely at their option. Motor vehicle owners sign a consent form and obtain program decals. The consent form authorizes law enforcement officers to stop the motor vehicle if it is being driven under certain specified conditions and to take reasonable steps to determine whether the vehicle is being operated with the owner’s consent.

- There are two program conditions. Under the first condition, the owner may consent to have the car stopped if it is being operated between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Under the second condition, the owner may consent to have the car stopped if it comes within 1 mile of an U.S. land border or international port.

Motorists wishing to participate in the night program apply a decal to the exterior sides of both the windshield and rear window. For those desiring the extra protection of having their vehicles checked when operated in the general proximity of an international land border or port, a third decal is applied to the windshield.

“Vehicle not normally operated during early morning hours.” This decal is applied on the front windshield directly above the inside rearview mirror. “Vehicle not normally operated near international borders or ports.” Motorists can elect to have this decal applied next to the decal described above. It is highly visible to border inspectors and law enforcement personnel who watch oncoming traffic at border crossings and ports.

“Vehicle registered with Watch Your Car Program.” This decal is placed on the outside lower left corner of the rear window. It contains no written information but simply serves as a beacon to law enforcement officials that the vehicle is registered with the anti-theft program.

All vehicles enrolled in the Watch Your Car Program use the first and third decals. The second decal is optional. Decals are tamper-resistant and are made of retroreflective sheeting to reflect light from the headlights of oncoming traffic or from vehicles following behind.

Similar State Auto Theft Prevention Programs

The most common program is Combat Auto Theft (CAT). It is presently used both on a statewide basis and by individual local jurisdictions in Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The State of Illinois has a Beat Auto Theft (BAT) Program, while Texas has a Help End Auto Theft (HEAT) Program. The national Watch Your Car Program has adopted the Texas Automobile Theft Prevention Authority’s Watch Your Car icon and, in fact, is modeled on the HEAT Program.

VIN Etching

VIN Etching is a process by which a vehicle’s Identification Number (VIN) is permanently etched (with a non-corrosive gel) into the major windows of an automobile, truck or van. When a motor vehicle has had its windows permanently etched or engraved, a thief would be forced to replace all of the vehicle’s windows to resell or change the vehicle’s identity. Some motor vehicle insurance companies will offer a premium discount up to 15% when the vehicle’s windows have been permanently etched.

When Purchasing a New or Used Vehicle

When purchasing a motor vehicle, particularly a used vehicle, consider the following precautions:

• When buying a used car, seek out a reputable and established dealership. When buying from a private individual, be wary of a seller with no fixed address or telephone. • Be cautious of the low priced bargain vehicle, a deal that seems “too good to be true.” • Beware of fast sell pressures. • Be cautious of a seller with no fixed address, place of employment or phone numbers. • Check the license plates, their physical condition should match the condition of the vehicle. • Check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), generally located at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side. Be cautious if it shows signs of tampering or alteration. Match the numbers shown against the numbers on the owner’s title and registration. • Check to insure the VIN plate has not bee repainted and the numbers stamped on the plate appear to be original factory numbers. • Ensure the VIN plate rivets are original. All 1970 and newer vehicles produced in North America have stainless steel “rosette” rivets with six petals and a hole in the middle. The are difficult to scratch with a knife. • Be suspicious of fresh paint on a vehicle. • Check the ignition keys, door locks and ignition locks for signs of tampering, abuse or replacement. Always insist on at least one set of original manufacture’s keys. • Examine windows and vents for any evidence of forced entry and be wary of any major repair or repainting. • Complete all paperwork at the time of sale. Pay by check or money order which can serve as a receipt and always require a dated, witnessed bill of sale that contains all pertinent information and serial numbers, along with the sworn odometer statement that is required by law before title and licensing. • Make certain the driver’s door contains a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Label. This label is often called a Mylar sticker, and it contains the Vehicle Identification Number. Presence of the label is required by law. • Beware of a loose dashboard. • If you are selling a motor vehicle, never allow a person to test drive the vehicle alone. Ask to see an interested buyer’s driver’s license, and write down the name, address, drivers license number, etc. • An excessively loose ignition switch may indicate tampering. Check the switch for chisel or pull marks. • If the seller provides only re-made keys, not original manufacturer’s keys, for a newer model car, be suspicious. • Compare the engine identification number with all other numbers to insure a match.

Aggressive Drivers

The National Highway Traffic Safety administration found that in 1996 aggressive driving was at least partly responsible for two-thirds of the nation’s 41,907 traffic deaths. A report from the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety found a 7% yearly increase from 1990 to 1996 in the number of drivers or passengers who intentionally killed or injured other drivers in traffic disputes.

Some law enforcement agencies are deploying unmarked vans with video equipment to tape aggressive drivers in the act. The Federal Department of Transportation has initiated a red light program, which includes safety campaigns, beefed-up police presence and cameras mounted in traffic signals.

Aggressive Drivers-Who Are They?

• These high-risk drivers climb into the anonymity of an automobile and take out their frustrations on anybody at anytime. • For them, frustration levels are high and level of concern for fellow motorist is low. • They run stop signs and red lights, speed, tailgate, weave in and out of traffic, pass on the right, and make improper and unsafe lane changes make hand and facial gestures, scream, honk, and flash their lights. • They drive at speeds far in excess of the norm which causes them to: follow too closely, change lanes frequently and abruptly without notice (signals), pass on the shoulder or unpaved portions of the roadway, and leer at and/or threaten, verbally or through gestures, motorists who are thoughtless enough to be in front of them.

When Confronted by an Aggressive Driver

• First and foremost, make every attempt to get out of the way. • Put your pride in the back seat. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold-your-own in your travel lane. • Wear your seat belt. It will hold you in your seat and behind the wheel in case need to make an abrupt driving maneuver and it will protect you in a crash. • Avoid eye contact. • Ignore gestures and refuse to return them. • Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate authorities by providing a vehicle description, license number, location and if possible, direction of travel. • If you have a cellular phone and can do it safely, call the police. • If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash farther down the road, stop a safe distance from the crash scene, wait for the police to arrive, and report the driving behavior that you witnessed.

Car Accident Scams-Staged Collisions

Car accident scams have become an increasing problem. The purposes of these scams or frauds are to cheat insurance companies, collectively, out of millions of dollars in claims each year.

The perpetrators in the car accident scams use various schemes to crash into, or be crashed into by unsuspecting motorists:

• “Swoop-and-squat” A team of as many as three cars surrounds a motor vehicle on a freeway; two “swoop” in front, while a third blocks the victim’s vehicle on the side. Then the first car in the front stops suddenly, as does the second and the victim’s vehicle hits the second from the rear. By the time the police arrive, the first car, which is actually caused the crash, has left the scene. • “Drive-down” The driver with the right of way waves an unsuspecting driver forward, but then accelerates so the driver collides with him, making the legitimate motorist seems at fault. • “Start-and-stop” The driver begins to move forward after stopping at a light or signal, but suddenly jams on the brakes in the intersection, causing the innocent driver behind to rear-end him.

The perpetrators of this scam target vehicles that are likely to be insured, such as commercial trucks or sport utility vehicles, and drivers who are less likely to protest, such as seniors or women who are driving alone at night.

The passengers in the perpetrator’s vehicle are sent to dishonest doctors or chiropractors to run up medical costs, even if the “patients” are not hurt and often not even treated. The passengers are then directed to a lawyer who files suit against the insurance company for medical costs and pain and suffering. In most cases, the insurance company settles the claim The Insurance Research Council says that between $520 million and $630 million is paid annually in claims for staged accidents.

If a person is involved in a motor vehicle accident, a combination of several characteristics may indicate that it was staged. Ask yourself:

• Did the vehicle in front slam on its brakes for no apparent reason? • Remember to ALWAYS keep a safe distance from the car in front of you. • Was there a “phantom” vehicle, animal, or child that nobody else saw? • Did you collide with an older “gas guzzler” that had prior damage? • Do the occupants in the suspect car downplay their injuries? Try to recall whether they were wearing their seatbelts. • Are they anxious for the police not to show up? Call the police and your insurance company and express your suspicion in the report. • Does the driver have good I.D. or is it a temporary license with no picture? Always compare the photo with the driver and copy down all information. • Is the car properly registered and does the driver possess proof of insurance?

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Vacation Crime Prevention Tips

Vacation is a time for relaxation and enjoyment. It can also be the time for crime victimization if appropriate crime prevention measures are not followed. The following crime prevention tips or recommendations are designed to allow the vacationer to enjoy a safe and secure trip and to return to secure residence.

Before Leaving…. Secure Your Residence

• Have good locks on all doors and windows and use them. • Make sure your residence looks lived in, not empty • Leave shades and blinds in a normal position. • Ask a neighbor to watch your residence while you are away. Leave your vacation address and telephone number with a neighbor so you can be reached in case of an emergency. • Test your smoke and burglar alarms. • Stop all deliveries, arrange for a neighbor to pick up your mail, newspaper and packages. • Arrange for some to mow your lawn, rake leaves, and maintain the yard to give the home a lived-in look. • Have a neighbor place garbage cans at the curb on your normal pickup day(s) and return them after the garage pickup is made. • Plug in timers to turn lights and a radio or television on and off at appropriate times. • Turn the bell or ringer on your telephone down low. If a burglar is around, he won’t be alerted to your absence by a ringing telephone. • If you have call forwarding on your telephone, forward all your calls to a trusted friend or relative. • Don’t announce your absence on answering machine messages; leave your normal messages on the machine. • Engrave your valuables with your driver’s license number and post Operation Identification decals on entry doors and windows. • Close and lock garage doors and windows. Ask a neighbor to occasionally park in your driveway. If you leave your car at home, park it as you normally would. Vehicles parked outside should be moved occasionally to appear that they are being used. • Consider taking valuables to a bank safety deposit box.

On the Road

• Never carry large amounts of cash; use travelers checks. If you must carry large sums of money, do not display it openly. • Keep a record of traveler’s check numbers and your credit card numbers in a safe place. Have the telephone numbers to call in case your checks or credit cards are stolen or lost. • Be aware of your surroundings and never advertise your plans to strangers; this includes travel routes and the amount of cash your are carrying. • Do not stop to offer help to a stranded motorist. Go to the nearest telephone and call for assistance. • If you suspect someone is following you, drive to the nearest service station, restaurant or business and call the police or sheriff’s department. If you believe it is unsafe for you to get out of your car, sound your horn and flash your lights to draw attention. • If your car breaks down, raise the hood and attach a white flag to the antenna or door handle. If some stops to help it is advisable that you stay in your locked car and ask them to call the police or garage. If you must abandon your car, keep all passengers together. • Do not carry your airplane tickets or passport in open view. • Be very careful with bus, train or airplane tickets. They are as good as cash. • Males are advised to carry their wallets in an inside pocket or front trouser pocket. • Females are advised to carry their purse under their arm. • To take a picture of your suitcases and keep the picture(s) with you. The picture(s) may be helpful in identifying your luggage if it is lost by an airline. • While traveling, be sure your luggage is locked. • Label each piece of luggage with your name and business address.

Car Security

• Always lock your car after entering or leaving it. • Park in well-lighted areas. • Check the back seat before entering your car. • Mark your car radio and other removable car equipment with your driver’s license number. • Always lock valuables out of sight, preferably in the trunk. Always carry wallet, checkbooks and purses with you. • Do not advertise that you are a tourist. Place maps and travel brochures in your vehicle’s glove compartment.

Hotel and Motel Security

• If you are staying in a hotel or motel, take all of your luggage and valuables to your room. • Never leave money, checks, credit cards, car keys or valuables in the room. Take them with you. • Determine the most direct route to and from your room, to the fire escapes, elevators and nearest telephone. • When occupying or leaving your room, use all auxiliary-locking devices on doors and windows. (You may want to purchase a portable door lock for traveling.) • Keep a daily check of your belongings. • Place extra cash, expensive jewelry or other valuables in the hotel/motel safe. • Use the door viewer to identify anyone requesting entry. Open the door only if you are certain the person has a legitimate reason to enter your room. If in doubt, call the hotel/motel office. • Unpack and place your belongings in the closet and dresser. Arrange your things so you’ll know if anything is missing. • Consider locking any electrical appliances (blow dryers, electric shavers, etc.) in your luggage. Suitcases should always be locked so they cannot be used to carry your property out of your room. • Report any lost or stolen items to the hotel/motel management and to the police. • Report to the management any suspicious movements in the corridors or rooms.

Sight-Seeing

• Ask for directions at a hotel/motel on how to get to those attractions you want to visit. • If you are going out in an unfamiliar area, ask the hotel clerk if there are areas you should avoid. • Select tour guides carefully. • Don’t advertise you are a tourist. Don’t look lost or vulnerable. Walk with a purpose and stay alert to what’s happening around you. If you get lost, find an open business and ask for directions. • Only carry with you the cash you will need, and only in small denominations. • If older children go off separately, be sure they understand the importance of keeping track of time and returning promptly at appointed hours.

Camping Tips

• Avoid camping alone in isolated areas. • Park your vehicle so it cannot be blocked by another vehicle in case of an emergency. • Mark all your belongings and camping equipment with your driver’s license number and keep a record of equipment. • Mark your tent, sleeping bags and clothing with indelible ink. • Engrave your footlocker, thermos, coolers, lamps and flashlights, fishing gear, backpacks, barbecue grills, etc. • Familiarize yourself with local emergency locations and phone numbers in case of accidents or crimes. • Avoid letting your camping gear (cook stove, ice chest, chairs, etc.) out in the open unattended. • Get to know your neighbors and help protect each other’s belongings. • Avoid walking alone at night. • Carry a spare lock so you can use storage containers available at many parks. • Use a chain and lock to secure propane tanks, portable generators, spare tires, bicycles, etc. • Always lock your camping trailer when you leave the vicinity. • Install a locking device on the trailer-towing hitch, so your trailer cannot be towed away. • Report any suspicious activities and all crimes to the proper authorities.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Travel Crime Prevention Tips

A security-wise traveler needs to learn how travel safely. This awareness begins with a realization that the traveler must take reasonable precautions to protect themselves, their family and personal property.

The following area a series of crime prevention tips or recommendations that should be embraced and adopted by travelers.

Parking at a Hotel

• Park your car in a well-lit area close to the lobby or use valet parking. • Do not park in a space with your room number on it, if possible. • Before getting out of your vehicle, check your surroundings for suspicious- looking people. • When you get out, lock your vehicle. Do not leave valuables in the vehicle or in the trunk. • Walk confidently and briskly from your vehicle to your destination. • Be aware of loiterers when moving valuables from your vehicle to your room. • Memorize your vehicle’s license number so you will not have to go outside to get it when registering.

Checking In

• Always make reservations ahead of time and secure them with a credit card. Otherwise, if desirable facilities are not available, you may become stranded or in an unsafe room. • If your room is not ready when you attempt to check in (e.g., if you arrive early in the day), ask to store your luggage in a locked room. Many hotels and motels have a “day room” where you can temporarily store your luggage. • When completing the guest registry, some women prefer to sign their name in a gender-neutral fashion using only their first initial and last name, such as M. Johnson. • Register with your business address rather than your home address. • Advise the front desk never to release your room number. • Avoid “shortcuts” such as back stairwells when moving about the lodging. • Ask the front desk clerk specific questions about the hotel’s security features: - If there are hotel security officers, how can they be reached? - Does the hotel lock the outside doors at a certain hour? - If they do, what is the best way to re-enter?

Room Location

• If the hotel has more than one building, request a room in or near the main building. • Request a room that faces inward toward other rooms or toward the lobby. • Request a room that does not have easy access to its window, such as from the roof or street. • Request a room:

- On the second floor, but no higher than the seventh floor. - Near a fire exit. - Away from stairwells, elevators, ice machines, vending machines, basements or garbage/refuse rooms. • A room near (but not next to) the elevator helps to avoid long walks down stairways. • If you are a woman traveling alone, request the concierge or key service floor, if there is one.

When You Arrive at Your Room

• If a bell person shows you to your room, ask him or her to point out the room’s safety features, locks and exits. • If you are not shown to your room by a bell person, conduct a quick visual check of your room to see if anything appears to be out of place. Leave immediately if it appears like someone may have been in your room. • Do not let strangers show you to your room or carry your luggage if they are not affiliated with the hotel. • Do not enter your room if someone appears to be watching you or loitering nearby. Walk confidently by such people, but not into a dead end. Go where there are other people. If that is not possible, enter your room quickly and report your concerns to the front desk. • Never leave money, checks, credit cards, car keys or valuables in a hotel or motel room. • Particularly if you are staying in a hotel or motel more than one night, unpack and place belongings in the room closet and dresser. Arrange your belongings so you will know if anything is missing. • Maintain a daily check of your belongings. • Lock your empty suitcases so they cannot be used to carry your belongings out of your room.

Valuables

• If you have valuables or important documents (e.g., a passport or airline ticket) store them in the safety deposit box at the front desk and get a receipt. • Us an in-room safe to store only the items of moderate value. Large sums of money and jewelry should be placed in the safe at the front desk. • If there is not an in-room safe, put valuables in a money belt you wear, or possibly bring a “portable safe” such as hollow books, shoes with hollow heels, suitcases with secret compartments, etc.

Elevators

• When riding on an elevator, always stand next to the elevator controls. • Do not enter an elevator if it is occupied by anyone you consider to be suspicious. • If someone is watching when you enter an elevator, press several floor buttons so they will not know which floor you got off on. Notify the front desk if the person made you feel uncomfortable.

Door and Window Security

• Things to look for in hotel or motel door security include: - Sturdy locks - Reliable key system - Visibility to the hallway • When occupying or leaving your room, use all auxiliary-locking devices on doors and windows. (You may want to purchase a portable door lock for traveling.) • Windows should open and close easily from the inside. • Use the extra lock or stick on windows, sliding or patio doors so they cannot be lifted out of their tracks. • If you have a physical disability, request a room where locks are reachable and easy to operate.

Telephone Tips

• Learn how to use the room telephone to summon help quickly in the event of an emergency. • Learn the number for the front desk. • Learn how to call 911. • Memorize your room number and the name of the hotel. • Read any information printed on the face of the room telephone, if available. • If you receive unwanted, harassing or threatening telephone calls, hang up immediately and notify the front desk.

General Hotel Safety Recommendations

• Keep your room key in a safe place, such as safety-pinned to the inside of your pocket. • Request a key that does not have your room number on it. • Report missing or lost keys immediately and move to a different room. • Use the door viewer to identify anyone requesting entry. Open the door only if you are certain the person has a legitimate reason to enter your room. If in doubt, call the front desk. • If you are expecting someone to come to your room, pre-arrange an exact time of arrival, as well as some form of introduction or identification. • Completely close the room curtains, especially in the evening or if you will be away from the room for some time. • Do not leave magazines around your room or pool that have your home address on them. • Ask the front desk staff for the safest areas for jogging, walking, shopping, etc. Ask for a map of the area you are staying in. • If you feel uneasy about going to fax, telex, photo copying, laundry, pool, or exercise facilities alone, have someone go with you or tell the front desk where you will be. • Hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the outside door knob when you exit, and leave a light and radio on. These discourage burglars.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Tips for a Happy and Safe Holiday

During the year-end holidays, people are often busy, excited and sometimes a little bit careless. The following holiday crime prevention tips can be shared with members of the community relations or community policing effort. They can be included in a flyer, brochure, Internet web page, etc.

At Home

• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave your house or apartment, even for a few minutes. • Don’t display holiday gifts where they can be seen from a window or doorway. Store gifts before you go away on a holiday trip. • If you go out for the evening, turn on lights and a radio or television so the house or apartment appears to be occupied. • If you take a holiday trip away from your home, have some interior lights activated by an automatic timer. Have a neighbor or family member watch your house, shovel new snow, pickup the mail and newspaper and park his or her motor vehicle in your driveway from time to time. • Participate in Operation Identification and mark your valuables with a unique identification number. • Be wary of strangers soliciting for charitable donations. They may attempt to take advantage of people’s generosity during the holidays. Ask for identification, how donated funds are used, if contributions are tax deductible, etc. If you aren’t satisfied with the answers, don’t give. • Immediately after the holidays, mark new gifts with an identification number and record new serial numbers. • Test your smoke detectors. • Use only fire resistant ornaments on a holiday tree and make sure electric lights are in good working order. Don’t leave the lights on overnight or when you are away from home. • If you have houseguests, advise them of your security precautions and make sure they follow them. • Avoid leaving boxes from purchases (especially TV’s, VCR’s, computer, etc.) out on the curb for trash pickup.

Shopping

• Shop before dark if possible. Possibly coordinate shopping trips with a friend. Never park in an unlit lot or area, no matter how convenient it is. • Lock your packages and gifts in your vehicle’s trunk. Keep your vehicle’s doors locked and windows closed. • Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay for purchases with a check, credit card, or debit card when possible. • To discourage purse-snatchers, don’t overburden yourself with packages. Have your purchases delivered whenever possible. • Be extra careful with purses and wallets. Carry a purse under your arm. Keep a wallet in an inside jacket pocket, not a back trouser pocket. • Teach children to go to a store clerk or security guard and ask for help if you become separated. They should never go into a parking lot alone.

Holiday Party Safety

• Have non-alcoholic beverages available for party guests. • Serve something to eat before serving alcoholic beverages. High protein foods stay in the stomach longer and slow absorption of alcohol into the system. • Have alternative transportation for intoxicated persons. Don’t let guests drink and drive.

Pickpockets

Pickpockets like to take advantage of crowds in stores, on the street and on public transportation. Many work in teams with one distancing the victim while the other does the actual pickpocketing. Beware of anyone who jostles you. It may be accidental but, then again, it may not. For women who carry a purse, one that has a flap, which folds over the opening and fastens at the bottom is preferable to one that can be opened simply by turning a clasp at the top. Men who carry wallets or a money clip should keep them in inner or side pockets rather than rear trouser pockets.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Safety Tips for Joggers

There are frequently persons who enjoy jogging or running. These persons can be susceptible to criminal attack. One of the problems with joggers or runners is that they become so preoccupied in their physical activity that they fail to be alert and pay attention to their surroundings. They sometimes become too busy concentrating how much further they have to go and on putting one foot in front of the next that they don’t realize what is happening around them.

The following are a series of personal safety tips for joggers and runners:

• Jog or run with a know companion. • Jog or run in a familiar area. • Do not jog or run in a heavily wooded, poorly lighted or secluded area. • Particularly if jogging or running alone, don’t wear radio or recorder earphones. • Do not jog or run near bushes, which can provide concealment. • Wear bright colored clothing to improve your visibility. • Vary your route and pattern of jogging or running. • Carry a whistle or high decibel battery powered personal alarm device when you jog or run. • If followed, go to the nearest residence, open business or group of people. • Carry your motor vehicle and/or home key with you.

Defense Against Dogs

Joggers or runners often encounter what either may be or appear to be an unfriendly dog. If such an encounter does occur, the following measures are encouraged:

• When encountered by a threatening dog, the impulse is to often turn and run. This can be the worst response, however, since such movement can trigger the chase instinct in dogs. • Stand very still and attempt to be calm. • Don’t scream at the dog and run. • Be aware of where the dog is. Look in its general direction, but don’t stare into its eyes. This can be considered an aggressive challenge to a dog. • Let the dog sniff you. • In a low voice say, “No! Go home!” • Stay still until the dog leaves. • Back away slowly until it is out of sight. • If a dog does attack, try to “feed” it your workout jacket or other item of clothing. • If you are knocked down or fall, curl into a ball and keep your hands over your ears and face. Try not to scream or roll around.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Prevention of Fraud

Fraud can be defined as “intentional deception.” Each year, billions of dollars are lost by individuals and businesses due to fraudulent practices or activities.

Persons who commit fraud (can also be referred to as “con,” “confidence game,” “scam,” and “flim flam”) have somewhat different demographic characteristics than most other types of criminals. Forty-three percent of those arrested for fraud are female, which is far greater than the proportion of females arrested for other crimes. Approximately 41% of fraud arrests are for middle aged persons (30-50 years old). Of fraud arrest, 85% are white and 16% are black. Thus, of persons arrested for fraud, they are generally older, white and a significant proportion are female.

Con Games

Con games involve face to face contact between the con artist and the victim. There are an infinite number of con games, with more being devised each day. The following are a number of examples of con games currently being employed:

“Bank Examiner” Scam

There are many versions of this con game, but the basic premise is the same. A person posing as a bank or law enforcement official will ask a victim to make a withdrawal from a bank account in order to detect wrongdoings at the bank or to catch a criminal. Most often, the culprit makes telephone contact at home. After identifying himself as the bank examiner or law enforcement who is investigating a dishonest employee at the victim’s bank, he requests the victim to make a cash withdrawal and to meet him at a predetermined location. A variation of this scheme occurs when a cashier’s check is provided for deposit before the withdrawal is made.

How to avoid:

- Do not discuss finances with strangers. - Do not withdraw money on the advice of strangers. - Immediately report to the police or your bank’s security department anyone telephoning and claiming he is a bank examiner.

NOTE: Under no circumstances will bank officials, police, or the FBI request you to withdraw funds.

The Pigeon Drop

Two culprits are involved, one will approach a victim, usually in a public area such as a shopping center, and strike up a friendly conversation; the second will approach telling of a large sum of money or valuables that were found. The victim, the “new friend” and the “finder” agree that the money or valuables will be split, but only after the victim, the “new friend” and the “finder” put up money as a sign of good faith. Once this is done, the good faith, the money and the newfound friends will rapidly disappear.

How to avoid:

- Do not turn any money over to strangers looking for a quick profit. - Greed can blind you. Don’t expect something for nothing.

Jamaican Switch

This is a very common con. The Jamaican Switch involves two con men. The first will approach you claiming to be anew in town and looking for a hotel or boarding house. He may talk with a foreign accent and will display a large amount of cash. The second con man approaches and cautions the first con man to hide his money while he goes to look for a place to stay. He will insist that you place your money in the envelope to show good faith. The con man will then pretend to show you how to hold the money, switching the envelope. The con men leave and you soon find that the envelope contains only cut-up newspaper.

How to avoid:

- Do not turn any money over to strangers looking for a quick profit. - Greed can blind you. Don’t expect something for nothing.

Three Card Monte

Three Card Monte is another bunco scheme played by three swindlers and is similar to the Jamaican Switch. It is a basic skill game played with three cards. The victim is enticed or pressured to play the game and must pick the odd card to win. You cannot win at this game.

How to avoid:

- Beware of strangers offering to pay a large sum of money for a ride. - Beware of strangers who exhibit a large roll of money. - Don’t gamble for any reason with anyone you just met on the street.

Home Improvement Frauds

Discount roof cleaning, driveway repairs, electrical work and plumbing repairs are common scams. Some unscrupulous contractors prey on the elderly by quoting an extremely low price for jobs and upon completion demand a higher price.

How to avoid:

- Check out contractors with Better Business Bureaus and state or local licensing agencies. - Don’t be high-pressured into signing any agreements or contracts. - Take bids for the work from several contractors. - Never sign a certificate of completion unless all work is performed to your satisfaction. - Always fill out checks yourself. - Never sign and give a contractor a blank check. - All work to be completed must be in the contract. “Promised Work” is not valid for a complaint.

Credit Card Fraud

Credit card frauds continue to increase. The most common consumer oriented frauds are:

- Imprinting a larger amount than the actual purchase. - Imprinting two vouchers, one for the actual transaction, the other to be used later when fraudulent amount is entered, a signature is forged, and the voucher is submitted for payment. - Using valid credit card numbers obtained from the carbon paper inserts of the voucher for mail or phone orders.

How to avoid:

- Compare the imprinted and handwritten amounts before signing. - Retain all vouchers and reconcile your account monthly. - Retain and destroy all carbon paper inserts. - Report lost cards immediately.

Current Fraudulent Activity

West African (Nigerian) Based Letter Schemes

Nigerian-based letter scheme frauds have been circulating in North America since the late 1980’s. The letters target individuals, businesses, learning institutions and governments. Unsolicited Nigerian fraudulent letters promote several products, services and investment opportunities such as:

- Real estate; - Oil products; - Over-invoiced contracts and other contract fraud; - Distribution of monies from wills and currency conversion, etc.

Most of the fraudulent letters begin with an opportunity to receive a substantial return on investment. Once the victims participate in the plan, the Nigerian promoter requests that front monies be deposited in a bank account for transfer overseas. Once hooked, the victims commit more and more money to the schemes, as they do not want to lose the money they have already invested.

Importance is always placed on urgency and secrecy in the negotiations. Anyone who has received an unsolicited Nigerian letter should be urged to carefully research available information before considering doing business in Nigeria.

Pyramid Schemes on the Internet

There are a number of pyramid schemes on the Internet. Many of these schemes promote themselves as multi-level marketing opportunities. Do not be fooled. Legitimate multi-level marketing ventures sell goods or services through distributors. The pyramid schemes concentrate on commissions that you earn for signing up new members who then sign up additional new members, and so on. If the emphasis is on new members rather than goods or services then it may be a pyramid scheme.

The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) caution consumers about clubs or programs that promise quick money for recruiting new members. Beware of the promise of easy money or “get rich quick” schemes through a downline, matrix, or binary pyramid plan. Do not fall for promises of quick money through new member recruiting instead of sales of real products or services.

Long Distance Telephone and Pager Fraud

There is a telephone fraud scam with calls unknowingly going to pay per minute locations abroad. The scam uses pagers, voice mail and answering machines. The victims receive a message that they are to call an unfamiliar number with an area code. Once the victim calls the number they are transferred, put on hold and kept on the line as long as possible. Meanwhile the minutes and dollars add up as the area code is used by an offshore telephone company. The objective of the criminals is to keep the caller on the line as long as possible.

The scam artists receive an inflated rebate from the foreign telephone company for each call to the telephone number. A complicating factor is that the area code is legitimate. Prosecution is difficult, because the victims voluntarily initiate the call. The local telephone companies and long distance providers have trouble helping the victims for the same reason, the victim places the call and is therefore responsible.

Telemarketing Fraud

Use of the telephone for the sale of a wide range of services or products can be effective, legitimate marketing tool for any number of businesses. However, the legitimacy provided by the extensive number of well-known companies involved in telemarketing has provided an excellent opportunity for criminals. Criminals use the same techniques as the legitimate companies, but hide behind the anonymity of the telephone and attempt to defraud thousands and thousands of persons each year.

A few basic suggestions should be enough to ensure that individuals do not fall victim to the activities of telemarketers:

• DO NOT believe that everyone calling with an exciting promotion or investment opportunity is trustworthy, especially if you do not know the caller or their company; • DO NOT invest or purchase a product or service without carefully checking out the investment, product, service and the company; • DO NOT be afraid to request further documentation from the caller so you can verify the validity of the company; • DO NOT be fooled by the promise of a valuable prize in return for a low cost purchase; • DO NOT be pressured to send money to take advantage of a “special offer or deal.” • DO NOT disclose information about your finances, bank accounts or credit cards (not even the credit card expiration date.)

Business Fraud

False or Deceptive Invoices

Businesses sometimes receive invoices requesting payment for merchandise never ordered or services never performed. As a practice, they should examine each invoice carefully and check to ensure it pertains to items or services that were ordered and received.

Advance Fees

Be wary of any offer of “guaranteed loans.” Some financial arrangers convince borrowers that they can guarantee hard-to-secure loans with the payment of an advance or finder’s fee. The “up-front” money (or advance fee) is said to be needed to cover the costs for arranging the loan. The service fee is paid, but the arranger disappears and the loan is never received.

Classified Directories

Fraudulent directory schemes succeed because the promoters misrepresent their directories by associating them with well known similar publications. Unsuspecting businesses are approached to pay to advertise in a worthless or non-existent directory. Ensure that the listing you are paying for is one to which you have previously subscribed or is beneficial to your advertising needs.

Business Ventures

A promoter’s offer of a free trip to a franchise headquarters should be viewed with caution. It may be part of a ploy to induce a financial commitment. The validity of fabulous success stories should be verified with other franchise holders. Being pressured to “invest today” to avoid losing out on a certain opportunity or location may be a clue that the franchiser is not operating honestly. You may end up purchasing a franchise or merchandise, which does not meet your expectations.

Distributorships

Be cautious of any promoter who appears to be more interested in selling distributorships than promoting sales of the product or service to the consumer. It could be a “pyramid” type distributorship that profits more from sponsoring new distributorships than selling the product. Not all multi-level distributorships are fraudulent in nature, many are legitimate businesses, but caution should be exercised before investing in a business venture of this nature.

Prevention

There are many things that you can do to reduce the risk of falling victim to a fraudulent business scheme. The best fraud prevention practices require that you take responsibility to become an informed investor;

- DO exercise caution, restrain your impulses: watch out for the smoother talker or the offer of gifts. Gifts are often used as a distraction to relax the buyer’s judgement or code of standards. - DO question all proposals and exaggerated claims for services, products or prices. - DO investigate before investing. Know who you are doing business with. Do your homework, check with the Better Business Bureau, or Chamber of Commerce. Check product reliability with other investors and purchasers. - DO read and understand the details of any contract that you sign. Do not be rushed into signing. Get all claims and guarantees in writing.

Theft of Telecommunications

The theft of long distance telephone service amounts to billions of dollars annually. Any individual or business can be the victim of long distance thieves.

Crime Prevention for Individuals

• Never leave your calling cards unattended. • Protect your calling card number and keep it confidential. • Always maintain the confidentiality of your card information. • Always check your monthly statement. • When using your calling card in public, be aware that people near you may be “shoulder surfing” to observe the card information for their use. • If you own a cellular phone, ensure that all calls billed to you were in fact made from your telephone. Thieves may “clone” or copy your phone and have their calls billed to you. To minimize the risk, keep your cellular phone off when you are not expecting a call. • Report lost or stolen cards immediately.

Crime Prevention for Businesses

Theft of long distance service, telecommunications services and toll fraud can come in many different forms. Understanding your telecommunications system and the techniques used by the criminals are key to limiting your vulnerability to this type of crime.

Learn About Your Telecommunications System:

- Know the safeguards and security features; - Learn about the inherent defenses; - Determine the vulnerabilities; - Ensure staff are trained in safeguards and procedures.

Know the Access Paths That Open Doors to Fraud:

- Direct Inward System Access (DISA); - Voice-Mail System; - Remote System Administration (Maintenance Ports); - Direct Inward Dialing; - Tie Trunks and Tandem Network Services; - Modems.

Monitor and Analyze Your Systems Information:

- Study call detail records (i.e., exception reports may provide a warning sigh); - Review billing records; - Know calling patterns and review them; - Review voice-mail reports; - Monitor Valid and invalid calling attempts whenever possible.

Know the Signs of a Security Breach:

- Sudden changes in normal calling patterns; - Complaints that the system is always busy; - Increases in wrong number calls or silent hang-ups; - Increases in night, weekend and holiday traffic; - Increases in 800 and WATS calls; - Increases in international calling; - Increases in odd calls (i.e., crank/obscene calls); - Toll calls originating in voice-mail; - Long holding times; - Unexplained 900 calls; - High tolls for any unauthorized trunk extension.

Secure Your System:

System Configuration:

- Restrict access to specific times and limit calling ranges; - Restrict access to business hours only; - Block all toll calls at night, on weekends and on holidays; - Block or limit access to overseas calls; - Require attendant assistance for overseas calls.

PBX (Private Branch Exchange) and DISA (Direct Inward System Access):

- Change default codes after installation of new equipment; - Never publish DISA telephone numbers; - Change your DISA access telephone number periodically; - Issue a different DISA authorization code for all users; - Warn DISA user not to write down authorization codes; - Do not use sequential access numbers - Use longer DISA codes 9 (i.e., 7-9 digits); - Change codes regularly; - Disconnect telephone extensions that are not in use; - Restrict DISA access at night, weekends, and on holidays (Prime time for fraud); - Block or restrict overseas access; - Program your system to answer with silence after five or six rings.

Voice-Mail Systems

- Establish controlled procedures to set and reset passwords; - Assign and change passwords regularly; - Use maximum length passwords for system manager box & maintenance ports; - Prohibit the use of trivial, simple passwords (i.e., 222, 123, etc.); - Limit the number of consecutive log-in attempts to five or less; - Change all factory installed passwords; - Block access to long distance trunking facilities; - Block collect call options on the auto attendant; - Delete all inactive mailboxes; - Limit your out-calling; - In systems that allow callers to transfer to other extensions, block any digits that hackers could use to get outside lines, especially trunk access codes; - Conduct routine reviews.

Remote Access Ports

- Block access to remote maintenance ports and system administration ports; - Use maximum length access codes and change them regularly.

Modems

- Use maximum length passwords and change frequently; - Eliminate three-way calling on all extensions used with modems; - Disconnect modems that are not in use.

On-Site Security

- Secure equipment rooms (lock up all telephone equipment & wiring frames); - Limit access to authorized personnel; - Require positive ID checks from supplier staff; - Maintain an entry log; - Secure system documents (i.e., manuals, configuration records and system printouts).

General Security

- Restrict call forwarding to local calls only; - Establish policies on accepting collect calls and providing access to outside lines; - Delete employee codes immediately upon an employee leaving the company; - Do not assign a previous employee’s code to a new employee; - Ensure cards and passwords are returned when an employee leaves the company; - Train staff not to discuss the telephone number plan outside the company; - When using a cell phone, never discuss system access codes or calling card numbers; - Protect calling card numbers and PIN at all times; - Retain in a secure place or destroy the back sheeting to which the calling card is attached when it is mailed.

Employee Education & Policies

- Brief staff on security measures and policies and ensure compliance; - Train staff on toll fraud detection (i.e., warning signs, alarms); - Incorporate a confidentiality agreement in the conditions of employment; - Warn personnel about “ shoulder surfing”; - Establish reporting procedures for calling cards or access codes that are misplaced, lost, stolen or compromised; - Educate switchboard operators and employees about “social engineering” (i.e., con-artists trying to obtain calling access or transfers through a PBX); - Establish procedures for staff to report possible security breaches; - Maintain regular contact with your local telephone company regarding potential vulnerabilities and the latest security measures.

Fraud Information from the United State Postal Inspection Service

The United States Postal Inspection Service has included the following fraud information on their Internet web site.

http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect

Chain Letters

A chain letter is a “get rich quick” scheme that promises that your mailbox will soon be stuffed full of cash if you decide to participate. You’re told you can make thousands of dollars every month if you follow the detailed instructions in the letter.

Atypical chain letter includes name and addresses of several individuals whom you may or may not know. You are instructed to send a certain amount of money, usually $5, to the person at the top of the list, and then eliminate that name and add yours to the bottom. You are then instructed to mail copies of the letter to a few more individuals who will hopefully repeat the entire process. The letter promises that if the follow the same procedure your name will gradually move to the top of the list and you will receive money, lots of it.

There is at least one problem with chain letters. They are illegal if they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to the participants. Chain letters are a form of gambling, and sending them through the mail (or delivering the in person or by computer, but mailing money to participate) violates Title 18, United States Code, Section 1302, the Postal Lottery Statute. (Chain letters that ask for items of minor value, like picture postcards or recipes, may be mailed, since items are not things of value within the meaning of the law.)

Recently, high-tech chain letters have begun surfacing. They may be disseminated over the Internet, or may require the copying and mailing of computer disks rather than paper. Regardless of what technology is used to advance the scheme, if the mail is used at any step along the way, it is still illegal.

The main thing to remember is that a chain letter is simply a bad investment. You certainly won’t get rich. You will receive little or no money. The few dollars you may get will probably not be as much as you spend making and mailing copies of the chain letter.

Chain letters don’t work because the promise that all participants in a chain letter will be winners is mathematically impossible. Also, many people participate, but do not send money to the person at the top of the list. Some others create a chain letter that lists their names numerous times, in various forms with different addressee. So, in reality, all the money in a chain is going to one person.

Do not be fooled if the chain letter is used to sell inexpensive reports on credit, mail order sales, mailing lists or other topics. The primary purpose is to take your money, not to sell information. “Selling” a product does not ensure legality. Be doubly suspicious if there is a claim that the U.S. Postal Service or U.S. Postal Inspection Service has declared the letter legal. This is said only to mislead you. Neither the Postal Service nor Postal Inspectors give prior approval to any chain letter.

Participating in a chain letter is a losing proposition. Turn over any chain letter you receive that asks for money or other items of value to your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector. Write on the mailing envelope of the letter or in a separate transmittal letter, “I have received this in the mail and believe it may be illegal.”

Free Prize Scheme

It happens every day. Thousands of people are notified by mail that they have won a free prize. Usually, it’s a post card notice that says your prize will be on of four or five “valuable” items, a new car, a vacation, a color television, or a $1,000 saving bond. Major companies sometimes give away expensive items in special promotions, but they usually don’t notify winners with a postcard. Typically, these notices are mailed by con artists whose sole purpose is to rip you off.

If you contact the company by phone, as the postcards will tell you to do, your “free” prize could end up costing you hundreds of dollars. The following examples illustrate the point. A man in San Mateo, California, paid $398 for “shipping charges” to receive a “free” 1988 Pontiac automobile. Needless to say, he got nothing. A Bergen County, New Jersey, resident paid a $69 “shipping and handling charge” to get his “free” $ 1,000 saving bond (with maturity of some 30 years). He could have bought the same savings bond from the U.S. Government for only $50.

Often you never get a prize. If you do get one, it typically is an inferior, overpriced, or grossly misrepresented piece of merchandise. For example, an “all terrain vehicle” turned out be a lawn chair with wheels, a “sport fishing boat” was an inflatable raft, and a “genuine fur coat” was a dyed rabbit pelt worth about $30. Beware if the notice lists nice-sounding prizes like “designer” or “diamond” watches. They are likely to be cheap or practically worthless junk.

Further, the scam artist makes you pay for your “free” item, either by requiring you to order merchandise or by charging a shipping, handling charges, or processing fee. You can almost be certain that the fees required to buy will be grossly overpriced, as has been the case with the water filters and purifiers and the vitamins that are often marketed to the lucky “winners.”

Every day, consumers throughout the U.S. lose many thousands of dollars to these unscrupulous free prize promoters. Their operations, know as boiler rooms, are staffed by high pressure sales people armed with sophisticated selling techniques designed to get you to send them money. Don’t be swayed by their carefully scripted sales pitches and pressure tactics. Even better, arm yourself in the best possible way against falling victim to these kinds of frauds, by knowing how these con men operate and being prepared to ignore their come-ons.

If you receive a mailing promising you a free prize, or if you have been victimized in a free prize promotion through the mail, contact your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Hot Tip on Playing Foreign Lotteries by Mail: “Don’t Do It!”

You hear the state lotto jingle on the radio. The jackpot has been raised to $10 million. You have got lotto fever. Next thing you know there’s a brochure in your mail urging you to participate in some foreign country’s lotto, maybe on in Australia or Canada, via convenient mail-order purchase of lottery tickets, or of a share in a pool of lottery tickets. So you start thinking that getting into a new game might improve your luck, and you ask yourself, “Why not do it?” The U.S. Postal Inspection Service can give you the answer. Don’t do it because:

• It’s illegal. A federal statute prohibits mailing payments to purchase any ticket, share, or chance in a foreign lottery. • It’s impractical. Unlike playing in your state’s lottery, you could not be certain that you would obtain the play you paid for.

Most foreign lottery solicitations sent to addressees in the U.S. do not come from foreign government agencies or licensees. Instead, they come from “bootleggers” who seek exorbitant fees from those wishing to play. The activities of bootleggers are neither being controlled nor monitored by the government-operated lottery they are hoping to enter. They are left to rely on various forms of entry “confirmation” issued by the bootleggers.

As a general proposition, sending lottery material through the mail is prohibited by federal law. This material includes, among other things, letters or circulars concerning a lottery, tickets or any paper claiming to represent tickets, chances or shares in a lottery, and payments to purchase any such tickets, chances, or shares.

Congress has enacted limited exemptions from this prohibitions, including some which allow such material for a lottery conducted by a state of the United States to be mailed to addresses in that state. No exemption has been enacted which would make it lawful for a foreign lottery enterprise to use the U.S. Mail, or cause it to be used, to operate, promote, or enter one of its lotteries.

First-time offenders convicted of knowingly violating the postal anti-lottery statute would face penalties of up to a $1,000 fine and two years in prison. However, persons falling for foreign lottery sales pitches and mailing purchase payments in ignorance of the statutory prohibition normally are not prosecuted, and would face no more than a stern warning for the Postal Inspection Service. Such a warning usually is sufficient to dissuade them from further attempts to enter foreign lotteries through the mail. If you receive a mailed lottery solicitation that you think maybe illegal, turn the entire mail piece over to your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Government Look-Alike Mail

That brown envelope in your mailbox looked so official you thought it was from a government agency. Even the name, the return address and seal looked official. Such mailings can be deceptive and confusing, and are sometimes illegal. They typically contain sweepstakes solicitations or requests for donations to political causes.

Official-looking mailings the Postal Inspection Service has seen in the past include one from the “FBI”, actually, Fountains Bureau of Invitations, which turned out to be an invitation to attend a high-pressure sales pitch for a real estate development. To make the mailing look even more authentic, messages such “Important Notice,” “Official Business,” or “Open Immediately” are often hand-stamped or printed on envelopes.

The problems caused by these look-alike mailings led to the passage of the Deceptive Mailings Prevention Act of 1990. This law, Title 39, United States Code, Sections 3001(f) and (g), places certain restrictions on these look-alike mailings. Such mailings are no allowed, unless:

• The entity actually has a government connection, approval or endorsement. • The mail matter and its outside wrapper bear a notice prescribed by the U.S. Postal Service which disclaims such connection, approval, or endorsement; or • The mail matter is contained in a publication purchased or requested by the addressee.

If you are uncertain about a mailing, carefully read the material inside the envelope. If the mailer is not being totally deceptive, it should become clear whether the mailing is a deceptive government look-alike mailing from a private organization not connected with any government agency or program.

If you have received an unsolicited government look-alike mailing from an entity with no governmental connection, approval, or endorsement, and the required disclaimer is not present, please send that mailing with a brief transmittal letter to a Postal Inspector, care of your local postmaster.

The Free Vacation Scam

“Congratulations! You have won a free, 4-day, 3-night vacation for two beautiful, sun- drench Bermuda.” Sound too goo to be true? It is. When you get a postcard or letter in the mail (or an unexpected phone call from an unknown company) promising a complimentary vacation in an exotic spot, someone is probably trying to make you a victim of the free vacation scam. Don’t fall for it.

If you are first contacted through the mail, you will be asked to call the company to claim your vacation. But there’s always a catch. In the most common form of this scam, to be eligible for the free vacation you will be required to pay a service charge or to purchase a membership in a travel club, and that may cost you as much as $200- $300. Don’t pay it. And do not, under any circumstances, give the company your credit card number or even just its expiration date.

If you do join a travel club that happens to be run by a con man, here’s what you can expect. You will receive a travel packet describing your vacation. But there will be many restrictions on when you can take your trip. You may also be required to pay an additional handling charge of up to $100 to book your reservation. The travel dates you prefer will very likely be unavailable. If you complain, you may be offered an upgraded plan for still another additional fee.

If you are one of the few people who actually receive a vacation, you will most likely be booked into substandard accommodations. Most people who join a fraudulently operated travel club will never receive anything. Ultimately, as the law closes in, some vacation scam operators will close down, move on, and set up operations elsewhere and bilk other unsuspecting consumers of their money. You will be left without the promised vacation and much smaller balance in your bank account.

Many recently detected vacation scams have operated out of Florida, Houston, and the Los Angeles-Orange County area. But such operations can originate anywhere in the country and can be easily recognized by their common characteristics, as outlined above.

If you have been victimized by a free vacation scam or fraudulent travel club, or if you receive a suspicious solicitation from one in the mail, please contact your postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

900 Telephone Number Schemes

In recent years, 900 telephone numbers, in which the caller pays a fee per minute, have been used by television stations to elicit viewer participation and to offer services, such as current weather conditions. But beware of swindlers who want to lure you to call a 900 number without giving you anything in return for your money.

These swindlers may promise you a product or service, such as credit repair or a travel package, but what you actually receive will be quite disappointing. Those with bad credit hoping to receive a credit card by calling a 900 number might receive a list of banks to which they can apply for such a card. Those who are told to call because they are winners in a sweepstakes receive nothing at all. But you will be even more unhappy with the charges that appear on you phone bill, sometimes $30 or more.

In the past, swindlers have used toll-free 800 numbers to carry out many of the scams they now promote via 900 numbers. They include phony free prize and free vacation offers, as well as deceptive credit card promotions. They often begin when the swindler sends you a notification in the mail claiming that you have won something for free or have qualified for credit.

Sometimes, when call a 900 number, you will be required to listen to a long recorded sales pitch. Remember, the longer you are on the telephone, the higher the phone charges will be. To add insult to injury, at the end of the sales pitch, you will often be directed to phone a second 900 number for additional information or to order your product or service. If you call the second 900 number you will then be billed for an additional 900 number telephone call. Remembering the following can help you avoid becoming a victim of 900 number frauds:

• Be wary if after dialing one 900 number you hear a message asking you to dial a second 900 number. • If you have never heard of the company making the promotion, check it out with your local Better Business Bureau or consumer protection agency. • Trust your own common sense. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you have been taken by a 900 number fraud scheme and the U.S. Mail has been used in anyway, report your experience to your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Advance Fee Loan Schemes

Have you had difficulty obtaining a loan through normal sources? If so, you may become the target of an advance fee loan scheme. In such a scheme, a con artist offers you a “guaranteed” loan for a fee paid in advance.

The advanced fee swindler claims to be able to obtain a loan for you with ease from a legitimate lending institution, such as a bank or a savings and loan association. However, the swindler has no ability to secure a loan for you. Instead, he either steals your fee and disappears or remains in the area to bilk other unsuspecting victims while stalling you with various excuses as to why your loan has not been funded.

Advance fee swindlers frequently ask for a percentage of the gross loan amount as their fee. For example, if a five- percent fee is requested, you would have to pay $500 to obtain a loan of $10,000. There is much to lose if you lower your guard. If you are not dealing directly with a lending institution on your own behalf, the following guidelines will help you avoid being victimized by an advance fee swindler.

• Know who you are doing business with. Obtain the name of the loan representative and the name, address, and telephone number of the company. • Do not accept the promoter’s claims of guaranteed loan services at face value. • Insist on being told the name of the lending institution, which supposedly will fund your loan. • Verify with the supposed lender all oral and written representations made by the promoter regarding support from that lender. • Ask for names, addresses, and phone numbers of other customers of the promoter and contact them to see if they got their loans. • Consider consulting an attorney or accountant for advice.

Remember: Ask yourself why the promoter can obtain a loan from legitimate lender when you yourself have been turned down for a loan, perhaps many times. Take care of your precious assets by exercising caution when asked to pay a loan fee in advance.

If you have been victimized in an advance fee scheme in which the U.S. Mail is used, report your experience to your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Advance Fee Loan Tips (from National Fraud Information Center)

• Don’t pay money up front. It is against the law for a telemarketer that is offering to help you obtain a loan to ask for any fees in advance. You must have the loan in your hands for at least 7 days before the company may ask for payment. This applies to telemarketers that offer loans directly and companies that offer to help obtain a loan through a third party. • Apply for loans through local banks and credit unions. Dealing with someone locally makes it easier to resolve problems if they arise. Ask if the financial institution is licensed by a state or federal agency and then check to make sure that it is. • If you can not get a loan yourself, get a co-signer. A friend, relative or employer may be willing to apply with you for a loan. But bear in mind that your co-signer is equally responsible for the debt; if you don’t make your payments on time, that person can be held liable for the loan, and his or her credit record will also be affected. • Get it in writing. If a company offers you a loan, get all of the terms of repayment, including interest rates, in writing. Shop around for the lowest interest rate. Make sure that nay promises that are made included in your written agreement. • You can get free or low cost help with credit problems. If you have got bad credit or no credit, you can get advice on how to build a good credit record from your local Consumer Credit Counseling Service. This nonprofit organization may also be able to negotiate payment plans with your creditors if you have fallen behind. To find the nearest CCCS office, call toll-free, 1-800-388-2227.

Charity Fraud

Throughout the year, and especially during the holiday season, you probably get appeals in the mail or by telephone urging you to contribute financially to a good cause. But the U.S. Postal Inspection Service warns those who want to give that there are plenty of fraud operators out there who are scheming for your money and the last thing on their mind is charity. Not only do such come-ons bilk you of your money, but they also put money you intended for the needy into the hands of con artists.

But just how do you know who is legit and who is not? The Salvation Army and the American Cancer Society, those are among the obviously worthy organizations. But what if you receive a charitable solicitation from an organization you have never heard of? To guard against being taken advantage of, the Postal Inspection Service offers the following guidelines when donating to charities:

• Check out organizations you are unfamiliar with, or whose names are similar to well-known charities. You can do this by contacting:

- The Philanthropic Advisory Service, Council of Better Business Bureaus, 4200 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22203 - Your Local Better Business Bureaus - The National Charities Information Bureau, 19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003.

• If you are unfamiliar with the charity, ask for its annual report and financial statement. If the organization is not willing to provide these financial documents, you should immediately be suspicious. • Make checks payable to an organization only, never an individual. • Be suspicious of solicitors who say they will accept your donation in cash only. (Con artists want cash so there will be no paper trail for authorities to follow.) • If the charity uses a post office box to receive contributions, the post office where the box is located can give you box application information, such as the name and address of the individual who rented the box. • Report any suspicious organizations to your local postmaster or Postal Inspector.

The Postal Inspection Service encourages giving others a helping hand, but cautions those who give to make sure that the organization they are giving to is a legitimate charity, and not one that was set up for the sole purpose of bilking the public.

Charitable Solicitation Tips (from National Fraud Information Center)

Charitable Solicitation Tips

• Do not give cash. Legitimate charities will take a check. • Do not succumb to pressure. No legitimate organization will insist that you contribute immediately. • Do not give unregistered charities. Check with your State Department of Justice/Attorney General’s Office Charities Division to see if your state requires registration. If it does, check the charity out. • Be careful of pledges you don’t remember making. If you have doubts, check you records. • Be careful not to give personal information such as your social security number or mother’s maiden name to anyone soliciting over the phone. • Recognize false claims of tax-deductibility. A for written proof of tax-exempt status. • Never give out your checking account number or credit card number to anyone you don’t know soliciting for a charity over the phone. Ask for an address and offer to send a check. • Check with the National Charities Information Bureau to make sure that the charity is abiding by certain ethical and financial standards. • If the solicitation is for a law enforcement charity, ask your local or state police if they have ever heard of the group. If they have not, chances are it is not real. • Ask how much of your donation is going to charity. Even if professional fundraisers are truly soliciting for a charity, they may be keeping most of the donations as fees. It is often better to give directly to support charities and public services in your area.

Credit Card Schemes

Do you have poor credit? Are you having trouble obtaining a VISA or MasterCard or other major credit card because of a poor credit rating or other reason? Beware of con artists and their phony credit card offers. Some seemingly legitimate programs to extend you credit will end up costing you lots of money, and you won’t get the credit cards you are think are being offered.

The scam can start with a phone call, a postcard, or a letter, which claims that for a fee you can obtain a VISA or MasterCard or other major credit card, or establish that you are credit worthy enough to obtain on of these cards. Typically, the promoters of these phony offers indicate that your card is pre-approved and that it can be obtained without any credit check. The fee charged typically ranges from $35 to $50.

When your card arrives in the mail, you find out it can only be used to pay for orders from a specific store or catalog. The store or catalog, which is owned by the company that issued the credit card, may not even offer merchandise of interest to you.

This kind of “single-use credit card” is not a new concept, but recently unwary victims of this scam are being sold these credit cards by con artist who misrepresent them as being all-purpose bank credit cards. At times, the deception is magnified by the fact that the merchandise in the catalog from which you must choose your purchases is either inferior or grossly overpriced.

You can protect yourself against the phone “one-shot” credit card offers by being very careful when you are considering opening a new credit card account. If you have poor credit, be skeptical if you are offered a pre-approved card with no credit check. Be sure you know the specific purpose of the card. If you are not satisfied with the information provided by those marketing the cards, do not pay the required fee. Otherwise, you may become a victim. You may also wish to check with your local Better Business Bureau, State Attorney General’s office, or Postal Inspection Service office to determine if the company offering you a credit card is under investigation.

If you have been victimized in a deceptive credit card promotion through the U.S. Mail, report your experience to your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector.

Schemes that Charge Money for Services the Government Provides for Free

A variety of false representation schemes involve mailed solicitations that offer for a fee certain services available free of charge from the government. Often the company’s name and mailing design deceptively imply that the company is or has ties to a government agency. If you receive such a solicitation, you should call the government agency that maintains the information being sold by the promoter and ask if it is available for free from that agency. Beware of the following schemes that fall into this category:

• Child support collection scheme. Advertises assistance to custodial parents in collecting delinquent child support payments. Anyone needing such assistance should contact their local district attorney’s office or other government agency that monitors and enforces payment of child support. • Schemes involving social security. Offers various social security services, including obtaining social security numbers for newborn children, obtaining statements of personal earnings and benefit estimates, and notifying the Social Security Administration of name of changes for new brides. Anyone needing the services should contact the SSA, which provides them at no cost. • Unclaimed income tax refund scheme. Tells consumers they may be the recipient of unclaimed federal income tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. Consumers are led to believe the promoter will conduct individualized searches, but no searches are done after the consumer pays the required fees. Consumers who think unclaimed federal income tax refund checks are being held for them need only contact the IRS. If there is a check, the IRS will reissue it. • Unclaimed funds scheme. Promises to assist consumers in obtaining unclaimed funds held by state and other agencies. Some promoters state there “may” be money held in the consumer’s name just to get the consumer to pay a fee for a search. Other promoters get lists from agencies holding funds, contact persons on the lists, and offer to get their money for them for “finders’ fees.” Unclaimed funds held by state or other agencies are available to consumers at no cost directly from the state or other agency holding the funds. • Property tax exemption scheme. Advertises assistance to homeowners in obtaining property tax exemptions in California. Such tax exemptions are available from the local county tax assessor’s office at no cost to a homeowner upon completion of a simple form.

If you have been victimized in one of these schemes, or if you have received a suspicious solicitation in the mail, report your experience to your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector.

Cut-Rate Health Insurance Fraud

Senior citizens, perhaps more so than any other group of people in America, are aware of the high cost of medical care. While Medicare does cover many bills, it does not pay for everything. Seniors, who generally live on fixed incomes generated by Social Security, interest, and small pensions, sometimes buy supplemental insurance to pay for medical expenses not covered by Medicare.

There are sources for legitimate supplemental medical insurance. However, some policies offered to seniors through mailed advertisements and in other ways are offered by unscrupulous companies and salesmen who will try to sell anything they can, whether there is a need for it or not. Such policies will provide inadequate or inappropriate coverage. Reduce your chances of falling victim to health insurance fraud by carefully reading any sales promotion you may have receive in the mail, including the “fine print” in the policy. Be suspicious if a company requests that you pay your premiums in cash, pay a year’s premium in advance, pressures you to buy immediately because “it’s your last chance,” or requests that you sign a blank insurance from.

Be cautious about companies that offer policies that will protect you and your loved ones for “only pennies a day.” Such low premiums will be effective only for a short time (usually 30 days); thereafter, the premium will increase dramatically. You may also find you have purchased a policy, which does not include the kind of coverage you need. Be careful if a company uses a name, which suggests it is connected with the federal government, the Medicare program, or a well-known company. Unscrupulous companies will choose titles, business addresses, and stationary styles purposely to mislead you into thinking you are purchasing something of value from the government or a respected private company.

If you have any doubts about a health insurance policy that someone is trying to sell you, discuss the offer with a knowledgeable friend or relative or with an accountant, attorney, or other trusted advisor. And remember to notify your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector about deceptive health insurance promotions received through the mail so action can be taken to prevent other people from getting taken.

Investment Fraud Schemes

Fraudulent investment schemes are often marketed by telephone salespersons armed with high pressure and sophisticated selling techniques. Some swindlers surround themselves with the trappings of legitimacy, rented office space, a receptionist, investment counselors, and professionally designed color brochures describing the investment.

Seniors are a prime target for fraudulent investment schemes since many have saved a good amount of money for their retirement years. Fraudulent schemes require you to invest your money, often lots of it. Most promise you either a large increase in the value of your investment or higher-than-market interest on your capital, or both.

These schemes are fraught with danger: in most cases, you will never gain see the funds you invested. And you may not even receive the promised interest. If you do receive interest, you will often be paid late. Often, unbeknownst to you, your interest will be paid from the investments of others who are newly brought into the program on order to keep it alive. The swindler hopes these payments will allay any suspicions you might have as to the strength of your investment.

If answers to any of the following questions are yes, you may be dealing with a swindler who wants you to put money into a fraudulent investment:

- Does the salesperson make it sound as you can’t lose? - Are you promised an unusually high rate of return or interest payment on your capital? - Are you pressured to make a decision immediately or within short period of time because new investment units “are selling fast?” - Does the salesman have any prior successful experience in the investment area he is promoting?

Protect yourself. Be suspicious of nay deal that promises fantastic return at little risk. Know whom you are dealing with. If you are not sure, check the company’s reputation with your local Better Business Bureau, Postal Inspector’s Office, or District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Unit. Protect your retirement nest egg. If you have been the victim of an investment fraud where the mail is used, contact your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Solicitation Disguised as Invoices

Don’t be victimized by con artists who try to get your company to order goods or services by mailing you solicitations designed to look like invoices. The unscrupulous individuals who mail these know that some unsuspecting managers and employees will be fooled by their appearance and will automatically remit payment, thinking the company had placed the order.

Title 39, United States Code, Section 3001, makes it illegal to mail a solicitation in the for of an invoice, bill, or statement of account due unless it conspicuously bears a notice on its face that it is, in fact, merely a solicitation. This disclaimer must be in very large (at least 30-point) type and must be in boldface capital letters in a color that contrasts prominently with the background against which it appears.

The disclaimer must not be modified, qualified, or explained, such as with the phrase “Legal notice required by law.” It must be the one prescribed in the statute, or alternatively, the following notice prescribed by the U.S. Postal Service: THIS IS NOT A BILL. THIS IS A SOLICITATION. YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO PAY THE AMOUNT STATED ABOVE UNLESS YOU ACCEPT THIS OFFER.

Some solicitations disguise their true nature. Others identify themselves as solicitations, but only in the “fine print.” In either case, protect your company’s assets by withholding payment until you have verified whether your company actually ordered and received the goods or services reflected on the document. If not, do not pay. You may have received a solicitation in the guise of an invoice.

A solicitation whose appearance does not conform to the requirements of Title 39, United States Code, Section 3001, constitutes prima facie evidence of violation of the federal False Representation Statute (Title 39, United States Code, Section 3005). Therefore, solicitations in the form of invoices, bills, or statements of account due which do not contain the large and conspicuous disclaimer required by the law will not be carried or delivered by mail if they come to the attention of the Postal Service and will be disposed of as the Postal Service shall direct.

Con artists often make large mailings of illegal solicitations. Even if you are not fooled, you can help the Postal Inspection Service learn of such mailings by reporting the receipt of non-conforming solicitations to your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector. The Postal Inspection Service may be able to prevent other business people from being victimized.

Oil and Gas Investment Frauds

If you are contemplating investing a large amount of money, oil and gas wells may be among the options you are considering. Regardless of what investment opportunities you are considering, it is wise to gather all the information you can so you can make an informed decision. And beware.

Some oil and gas-well deals are offered by “boiler rooms,” or fly-by-night operations that consist of nothing more than bare office space and a dozen or so desks and telephones. Boiler room operators employ slick telephone solicitors trained to sue high-pressure sales tactics. These con artists will make repeated unsolicited telephone calls in which they follow a carefully scripted sales pitch that guarantees high profits. Some swindlers surround themselves with the trappings of legitimacy, including professionally designed color brochures.

In a fraudulent oil and gas scheme, scam artists promoting the investment often usually offer limited partnership interests to prospective investors who live outside the state where the well is located and outside the state the scam artists are calling from. This reduces chances for an investor to visit the site of a well or what may be nonexistent company headquarters.

If you are subjected to a high-pressure sales pitch in an unsolicited telephone call, watch for the following tip-offs that you may be dealing with a swindler:

• The oil well investment “can’t miss.” • There is very little risk involved. • The promoter has hit oil or gas on every other well previously drilled. • A lot of oil or gas has been found in an adjacent field. • A large reputable oil company is already operating near the company’s lease property, or is planning to do so. • A decision must be made immediately to invest in order to assure the purchase of a one of the few inters remaining to be sold. • The deal is only available to a few lucky and specially chosen investors. • The salesperson has personally invested in the venture himself. • A tip from a reputable geologist has given the company a unique opportunity to make its venture a success.

You can reduce your risk of being swindled by being suspicious of any deal that promises a fantastic return at little risk. If you are unsure who you are dealing with, check the company’s reputation with your local Better Business Bureau, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, or State Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit. If you have been the victim of an oil and gas investment fraud in which the U.S. Mail was used, contact your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Land Fraud Schemes

Whether you are looking for an investment, a vacation home or a place to retire, you need to exercise caution before buying a piece of land. Attractive real estate brochures in the mail may indicate the land is in a warm and hospitable climate with recreation and conveniences nearby.

However, if don’t personally see the land, you may later discover too late that it is in the middle of nowhere, far away from utilities and other amenities, and cannot be resold for even a fraction of the price you paid.

Before buying real estate, a wise and cautious investor should:

• Visit the property before deciding whether to buy. • Get any verbal promises and guarantees put into writing. • Obtain a property report from the salesperson or developer. • Contact the local Better Business Bureau to determine if there have been any complaints against the developer. • Contact a local real estate broker and obtain comparative prices for other plots of land nearby.

The Interstate Land Sale Full Disclosure Act (Title 15, United States Code, Sections 1701-1720) requires full disclosure of all material facts in the sale or lease of certain undeveloped land through the U.S. Mail or interstate commerce. The developers must provide each purchaser or renter with a property report containing certain information before signing of any contract or agreement for the sale or lease of the land.

To file a complaint or determine if there are complaints on file against a developer, a prospective buyer should contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s national Office of Interstate Land Registration, 451 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20410. Remember, under the law, you have the right to cancel your sales agreement within seven days of signing if you have already seen a property report (you may have more than seven days under some state laws). You also have the right to cancel the agreement within two years if you have not seen the property report before signing the agreement.

If a land developer or promoter has materially misrepresented what he has sold you, you may take legal action to get your money back. If the U.S. Mail was used to promote the land or obtain your money in a purchase or lease, report your experience to your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector.

Distributorship and Franchise Fraud

Legitimate distributorships and franchises can be profitable forms of business enterprise. Examples include fast-food franchises and new car dealerships, which offer great opportunities to those willing to invest substantial amounts of money and time to operate such businesses.

Unfortunately, not all franchise opportunities are legitimate. Con artists seeking to capitalize on the franchise boom create their own “investment” opportunities, which they promote to inexperienced investors. To induce the unwary to invest, these con artists promise the world, but deliver little to nothing. Be cautious if you are given following typical come-ons:

• Promises of unrealistic profits. Use your common sense when evaluating such claims. Will it really be as easy as it is claimed to make the substantial profits promised? • Promises of guaranteed earnings in a “protected market area.” A bona fide business opportunity will usually not make such a sweeping guarantee. An investor in a fraudulent promotion often finds that there are other unwary investors operating in the same “protected market area.” • Guaranteed money-back fund if not completely satisfied, as long as the investor “operates according to instructions.” Such guarantees are usually worthless. The promoter determines what “operating according to instructions” means, and the investor is often judged not to have met the criteria, hence, no refund.

Be wary if the promoter is more interested in selling the distributorship or franchise than in marketing a product or service. Also, if you are to encouraged or allowed to contact other investors to ask about their experience and results with the promotion, think twice about investing.

Your local Better Business Bureau or the Consumer Affairs Branch of you State Attorney General’s Office may have information on the reputation of the promoter of any distributorship or franchise operation you are considering investing in. You many also wish to check with the newspaper or magazine where you saw the promoter’s advertisement to see if there are any complaints against the promoter. If you have been victimized in a fraudulent distributorship or franchise promotion where the U.S. Mail was used, contact you local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Business Opportunity & Franchise Tips (from National Fraud Information Center)

• Study the disclosure document and proposed contract carefully. Under the FTC Franchise Rule a franchise or business opportunity seller must provide you with a detailed disclosure document at least 10 days before you pay any money or legally commit yourself to the purchase. This document must give 20 important items of information including; the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of other purchasers; a fully-audited financial statement of the seller and; the background experience of the business’ key executives; and the responsibilities you and the seller will have to each other once you buy. If a seller claims to be exempt from the FTC Rule, check with the FTC first to make sure. Do not sign up through a website until after you have had a chance to look over all documentation. • Talk to current owners. Use the list of other purchasers in the disclosure document to contact and find out about their experiences. Make sure to check whether the information in the disclosure document and promotional materials matches their experiences. You should be especially interested in the amount of work claimed vs. actually required and the promised profits vs. actual profits. Remember, a list of company-selected references cannot be substituted for the required list of franchisees or business opportunity owners. • Investigate earnings claims. Promised earnings are only estimates. If companies make earnings claims, they are required to have in writing the facts upon which those estimates are based. A seller must tell you the number and percentage of owners that have actually met the claimed profits margins. Beware of broad and unsubstantiated claims. • Shop around, compare franchises with other available business opportunities. Use the Franchise Opportunity Handbook published by the Department of Commerce, to check out other sellers and compare their offerings. If you seller is making claims that are the way out of line for the industry, beware. And if you shop around, you find a better deal somewhere else. • Listen carefully to the sales presentation. If you notice high pressure being used during a sales presentation, especially attempts to get you to sign up now, beware. The FTC rule requires at least 10 business days between getting the disclosure documents and paying or signing any agreements. If the salesperson tries to go faster than that, do not do it. • Get the seller’s promises in writing. If the salesperson makes statements that are different from the contract, disclosure documentation or promotional materials make sure you get them in writing. If there is a dispute later, the written contract is what counts. If a seller refuses to put the promises in writing, for whatever reason, take your business elsewhere. • Consider getting professional advice. Before you make any decisions, you should always get professional advice. Check with a lawyer for the legality of the business and make to sure you fully understand the contract. Have an accountant look over the finances and promised income. Remember the initial money and time you spend getting professional advice could save you from big losses on a bad investment.

Phony Job Opportunities

Beware of advertisements that make unbelievable claims about job opportunities. The ads misrepresent wages and the number of jobs actually available, and you must always pay a fee to receive more information. You should beware of job opportunity pitches that:

• Guarantee placement in a job, • Claim no experience or special skills are needed to qualify, • Offer too-good-to-be-true wages, or • Offer overseas employment.

Frequently, a con artist who promotes a job opportunity scheme offers job training in a specific field (such as truck driving, oil rigging, or heavy equipment operating) to fill a “critical” shortage at double or triple the applicant’s current salary. The pitch assures a successful graduate of work with the same company offering the training.

Such a fraudulent promotion will typically appear as a “business opportunity” rather than a “school” listing. The training program offered will be over-priced and often uncertified. Graduates will not be placed in jobs because the school will not be able to provide any jobs with it and will not be associated with private industry employers.

Sometimes con artists try to sell you a catalog containing the names of companies supposedly hiring workers for various jobs. Frequently, these jobs are said to be high paying positions overseas. If you buy the catalog, which often costs $30 or more, you may find thee companies listed are not hiring. Any money-back guarantee that comes with your catalog will often have requirements that may be difficult for you to meet.

Be wary of ads that promise to get you a job with the U.S. Postal Service. In the 1991, the Postal Service began to significantly reduce the number of employees in its workforce nationally. In 1992, a reorganization of the Postal Service eliminated tens of thousands of additional positions. The money you spend to obtain information on how to get a postal job may only get you generic information which is already available for free from the Postal Service and from some public libraries. Save your money and instead contact your nearest Post Service employment office to see if postal jobs are available in your area and to obtain the necessary application forms.

You may also contact your local Better Business Bureau or other consumer protection agency to check on a company that you are considering paying money to for job training or employment opportunities. You may find there have been complaints against the company.

If you have been taken by a phony job opportunity scheme, and the U.S. Mail system was used in any way, report your experience to your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Employment Opportunity Tips (from National Fraud Information Center)

• Be suspicious of requests for upfront fees. Most employment agencies only charge if they actually get you the job, and often the new employer pays not the employee. • Don’t believe promises of access to a “hidden job market.” They are usually just excuses for refusing to provide information without advance payment. • Never give your credit card or bank account information over the phone. Unless you are familiar with the company and are agreeing to pay for a service at that time. • Be skeptical of any employment service firm that guarantees refunds to dissatisfied customers if they meet specified criteria. You might find that it is impossible for you to qualify for a refund. • Get a copy of the firm’s contract and review it carefully before paying. Understand all of the terms and conditions. If oral promises are made, insist that they be included. If the company claims it is not necessary to make the contract agree with the oral promises, say goodbye. Whenever there is a dispute between oral promises and a written contact, the written contract is the winner. The only reason to refuse to include promises in contract is to avoid fulfilling them. • Be aware that some listing services and “consultants” may place ads that seem to offer jobs when in fact they are selling resume drafting services, “career direction consultations” or simply employment advice.

Multi-Level Marketing

Multi-level marketing is a system of selling in which you sign up other people to assist you, and they, in turn, recruit others to help them. Some entrepreneurs have built successful companies on this concept because the main focus of their activities is their product and product sales.

However, there are many multi-level distributorship schemes that are nothing more than sophisticated chain letters. They operate as a “pyramid,” claiming participants can earn lots of money by concentrating most, if not all, of their efforts on recruiting distributors rather than selling a product.

The success of a pyramid distributorship for each and every distributor depends on continuously getting additional people to join the pyramid. However, there is a practical limit to how many distributors can be found and to how many product units they can sell or use.

Furthermore, you can not control the efforts of the individuals under you to any significant degree. Many of them will have no real commitment to the program. They may have been high-pressured, just like you, to become a distributor.

Fraudulent pyramid schemes typically violate the Postal Lottery Statute (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1302). They contain all three elements of a lottery: prize (expectation of monetary or other gain from participation in the pyramid); chance (the monetary return you may receive from your participation is entirely up to chance, that is, depends on the efforts of those below you in the pyramid), and consideration (the fee you pay to become a distributor). Frequently, the entrance fee into the pyramid is very high. In many cases, the money spent for such an entrance fee can often be considered lot the moment you pay. To protect yourself against falling victim to a multi-level marketing scheme, note whether the basis of the promotion is the sale of a product at the retail level, as opposed to an emphasis on recruiting more distributors to help you increase your income.

There is no easy way to wealth. A multi-level marketing scheme is no exception, other than perhaps for the promoter who originates it and receives the large fees from unsuspecting victims. If you do fall victim to a multi-level marketing scheme, please contact your local postmaster or Postal Inspector.

Pyramid & Multi-level Marketing Tips (from National Fraud Information Center)

• Avoid any plan that pays commissions simply for recruiting additional distributors. Your primary source of income should be your own product sales. If the earnings are not made primarily by sales of goods or services to consumers or sale by distributors under you, you may be dealing with an illegal pyramid. There must be a way to purchase the goods or services without becoming a distributor. • Beware of plans that require you to you to purchase too much inventory upfront. These plans can collapse quickly and also may be thinly disguised pyramids. • Be cautious of schemes that claim you do little or no work, your downline (those people you have recruited into the plan) will do it for you. It takes a lot of work to make sales and supervise others. • Do not take claims of miracle products at face value. Just because your sponsor says it is true, does not mean that it is. Insist on proof that the product works. Check with an independent source to make sure that you are not having the wool pulled over your eyes. • Do your homework! Check with your state attorney general and the National Fraud Information Center before getting involved, especially when the claims about the product or potential earnings are extravagant. • Beware of shills. People paid by the company to lie about how much they have earned and how easy the plan was to operate. • Do not agree to anything in a high-pressure meeting or seminar. Insist on having time to think it over and to discuss things with a spouse, partner or even your lawyer. If a company won’t give you the time you need to check it out and think things over, you don’t want to do business with it. A good deal now will be a good deal tomorrow; the only reason for rushing you is if the company has something to hide.

Six-Cent and Other Short-Paid Postage

Since about 1988, unscrupulous people have promoted a fraudulent scheme to sell “secret” information that claims it is legal to send a first-class letter for only 2 cents, 3 cents, or 6 cents. For various prices, often ranging $5 to $20, the promoter sends you a copy of an out-of-date federal law that was eliminated by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 (Title 39 of the United States Code).

Don’t be misled by a promoter’s claim that his letter, advertising the “secret,” reached you with on a 2-cent, 3-cent, or 6-cent stamp. A few underpaid letters do get through the Postal Service’s automated mail processing equipment, but most don’t. So, if you buy the “secret,” not only will you be wasting your money, you will also have any short-paid letters you send either returned to you or delivered to the addressees who will be charged the additional postage due.

Also, don’t be misled if the promoter claims that the law that reflects the lower postage rate has never been changed by the U.S. Congress. Prior to passage of the Postal Reorganization Act, postage rates were set by the Congress, and the rate of postage for first-class mail was 6 cents. However, when the Post office Department became the U.S. Postal Service in July 1971, the power to prescribe postal rates was delegated to the Postal Service.

Under the new law, postal rates were no longer established by direct legislative enactment, but through administrative action by the Postal Service Board of Governors and the independent Postal Rate Commission. Also, Section 3 of the act provided that postage rates, as well as classes of mail and fees for postal services, prescribed before the effective date of the new law, were to remain in effect until they were changed in accordance with the new administrative rate-making procedures outlined by the Act.

If you begin selling obsolete postal rate material to others, you will be engaging in a promotion which violates the False Representation Statute (Title 39, United States Code, Section 3005) and may be in violation of the Mail Fraud Statute (Title 39, United States Code, Section 1341), a federal felony law.

When you open your mail, if you receive an offer for an information package on how to send first-class mail using on a 2-cent, 3-cent, and 6-cent stamp, give the envelope and its contents back to your postal letter carrier, or forward it to your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Work-at-Home Schemes

“Assemble our products at home. Earn $200 per week.” How often have you seen such an advertisement or ones like it? Advertised opportunities to earn money by doing work in your home are frequently nothing more than fraudulent schemes and, at best, rarely result in any meaningful earnings.

The targets of the work-at-home con artists are those who need extra money but who are not able to work outside their homes. Victims typically include mothers at home caring for young children, the unemployed, the elderly, handicapped person and people with low incomes.

These ads typically promise a “large income” for working on projects “in great demand.” Some promotions stress that “no experience is necessary,” while others indicate that “no investment is required.” The one characteristic common to all of these schemes is that you are required to purchase something before you are able to start work.

Probably, the most common kind of work-at-home scheme is envelope stuffing. Typically, all you receive for your money are instructions to place an ad like the one you answered, which requires you to rip off your fellow citizens to make any money. Remember: modern mailing techniques and equipment have virtually eliminated the need for homeworkers to perform legitimate envelope stuffing, addressing, and mailing services from their homes.

Some work-at-home schemes don’t really offer work in the home, but sell ideas for setting up home businesses. Other schemes require you t raise animals. Many schemes require you to produce items, such as sewing baby booties or aprons, making Christmas wreaths or toys, or fabricating other specialty products. You are not told that you will have to sell these items yourself and that there is generally little or no market for them. The promoters of such schemes are only interested in selling you something, that is, the ideas, animals, or materials you need to start your business.

Sometimes the promoters indicate that “no selling is required.” They promise to buy back any items you make, as long as your workmanship is “acceptable” or up to their “high standards.” Of course, these promoters will reject everything you send them by telling you that your finished products do not meet their standards. Once again, you are left to sell the items on your own, if you can.

If you fall victim to a work-at-home scheme, immediately notify you local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector. The sooner postal inspectors become aware of such a scheme, the sooner they can prevent other people from being defrauded.

Work-at-Home Tips (from National Fraud Information Center)

• Consider whether the pay offered is too high for the simple work promised. Legitimate companies pay wages based on the skills and training needed. Also, ask yourself, “Can a machine do this job?” If a task can be done faster and cheaper by another method, why are you being offered the job? • Get a complete description of the work involved before you send any money. You may find that what you are asked to do after you pay is far different from what was stated in the ad. You should never have to pay for a job description or for needed materials. • Beware of companies that claim they can set you up in profitable home- based businesses, but you must first pay upfront to attend a seminar and buy expensive materials. Frequently, seminars are high-pressure sales pitches and the material is so general it is worth little. And the material, especially software, may not even be usable or adaptable to your needs. • Get in writing the refund, buy-back and cancellation policies of any company you deal with. Do not depend on oral promises. They have no legal validity. • Know that it is illegal to do certain types of work at home. To find out which types, check out the regulations enforced by the Department of Labor.

Rules for Telephone Solicitations

Mail fraud promoters use the postal system to try to get money from you by offering something they don’t intend to deliver. But a mail fraud scheme doesn’t always start through the mail. It can sometimes begin with an unsolicited telephone call.

While there are many legitimate individuals and companies that use the telephone to solicit business, some con artists use a scripted sales pitch and an array of high- pressure sales tactics to obtain purchase commitments from victims.

However, both con artists and legitimate telemarketers sometimes use abusive techniques such as calling people’s homes late at night. To protect consumers, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 was passed because effective December 20, 1992. That act and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) help consumers avoid unwanted telephone solicitations and regulate certain abusive techniques. Under the new rules, telemarketers:

• Are required to maintain company-specific do-not-call lists for consumers who have requested that they not receive unwanted telephone solicitations. • Are barred from calling homes before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. • Are prohibited from using automatic dialing systems and pre-recorded messages where they may pose a threat to health and safety, such as using these techniques to call emergency lines and health care facilities. • Must, when making calls with an automatic dialing system, identify the caller, give caller’s telephone number or address, and release the called party’s line within five seconds of notice the called party has hung up. • May no send unsolicited or “junk fax” ads to telephone fax machines.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 also allows consumers and businesses to sue telemarketers who violate provisions of the act of the FCC’s regulations. Consumers may sue in state court to stop violations or to recover any actual monetary damages suffered.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has no authority to investigate or punish telemarketers who use the abusive practices outlined in this tip sheet. The Postal Inspection Service’s responsibility is to investigate telemarkerters who solicit funds through the U.S. Mail in fraudulent schemes. Therefore, if you have been victimized in a fraudulent promotion by first receiving a telephone call, report your experience to your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Characteristics of Telemarketing Fraud Schemes

A telemarketing fraud scheme often begins when you receive a postcard or letter in the mail describing an appealing offer. To take advantage of the offer, you are told to call a 900 number or a toll-free 800 number. When you call, the telemarketer has a convincing sales pitch.

Protect yourself from becoming the victim of such fraud by remembering the following tip-offs, which will help you decide whether to deal with the promoter.

• The offer sounds too good to be true. An unbelievable-sounding deal probably is not true. • High-pressure sales tactics. A swindler often refuses to take no for an answer; he has a sensible-sounding answer for your every hesitation, inquiry, or objection. • Insistence on an immediate decision. Swindlers often say you must make a decision “right now,” and they usually give a reason, like, “The offer will expire soon.” • You are one of just a few people eligible for the offer. Don’t believe it. Swindlers often send out hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions, of solicitations to consumers across the nation. • Your credit card number is requested for verification. Do not provide your credit card number (or even just its expiration date) if you are not making a purchase, even if you are asked for it for “identification” or “ verification” purposes, or to prove “eligibility” for the offer. If you give your card number, the swindler may make unauthorized charges to your account, even if you decide not to buy anything. Once that is done, it may be very hard to get your money back. • You are urged to provide money quickly. A crook may try to impress upon you the urgency of making an immediate decision by offering to send a delivery service to your home or office to pick up your check. This may be to get your money before you have a chance to think carefully about the offer and change your mind, or to avoid the possibility of mail fraud charges in the future. • There is no risk. All investments have some risk, except for U.S. Government obligations. And if you are dealing with a swindler, any “money-back guarantee” he makes will simply not be honored. • You are given no detailed written information. If you must send money or provide a credit card number before the telemarketer gives you the details in writing, be skeptical. Do not accept excused such as, “It’s such a new offer we don’t have any written materials yet,” or “You will get written information after you pay.” • You are asked to trust the telemarketer. A swindler, unable to get you to take the bait with all of his other gimmicks, may ask you to “trust” him. Be careful about trusting a stranger you talk to on the phone. • You are told you have won a prize. But you must pay for something before you can receive it. This payment can either be a requirement to purchase a minimum order of cleaning supplies or vitamins, or it can be a shipping/handling charge or a processing fee. Do not deal with a promoter who uses this tactic.

If you have been bilked in a telemarketing scheme in which the U.S. Mail was used, or if you know about a scheme that should be investigated, inform your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector.

General Telemarketing Tips (from National Fraud Information Center)

• Do business with those you know and trust. If you are not familiar with the company, ask for information to be sent to you about the products or services it is offering. A legitimate company will be glad to provide that information, a fraudulent marketer won’t. • Understand the offer. Be sure you know who and where the company is and how to reach it, what is being sold, the total price, the delivery date, the return and cancellation policy, and the terms of any guarantee. If that information is not in a catalogue or other materials that you have, get it in writing from the company. • Check out the company’s track record. Ask your state or local consumer protection agency if the company has to be licensed or registered, and with whom, and check to see if it is. You can also ask consumer agencies and the Better Business Bureau in your area about the company’s complaint record. But keep in mind that some companies open and shut quickly, so lack of a complaint record is no guarantee that a telemarketer is legitimate. • Be careful to whom you give your financial or other personal information. Don’t provide your bank account numbers, credit card numbers, social security number or other personal information unless you know the company is legitimate and the information is necessary for the transaction. Even with partial information, con artist can make unauthorized charges, deduct money from your account, and impersonate you to get credit in your name. • You may be better of paying by credit card that with a check, cash or money order, as long as you know with whom you are doing business. When you use your credit card for a purchase and there is a problem, you have the right to notify your card issuer that you are disputing the charge, and you don’t have to pay it while your dispute is being investigated. It’s easier to resolve a problem if you haven’t already paid. • Take your time to decide. While there may be time limits for special offers, high-pressure sales tactics are often danger signs of fraud. • Resist pressure to send you payment by private courier, wire transmission or overnight delivery. These tactics are sometimes used to prevent you from changing your mind and to avoid law enforcement authorities such as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. • Do not enter contests or other games of chance unless you know the company or organization sponsoring them. Fraudulent telemarketers often get lists of potential victims from entry forms from free trips or other prizes that consumers drop in boxes at fairgrounds or shopping centers, and from responses to mailings for sweepstakes, contests and puzzles. • If you have lost money to a fraudulent telemarketer, beware of bogus “recovery services” that offer to get it back to you, for an up front fee. People who are victimized once are often targeted again by the same crooks or others. Legitimate law enforcement agencies don’t charge for attempting to help telemarketers scam victims. • You do have some control over who calls you. Under federal law, you can tell a telemarketer not to call again. If you want to exercise that right, be specific, don’t just say that you’re interested. Keep a list next to the phone with the company names and dates. If you are called again on behalf of those companies, report it to your state attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission. • You can reduce unwanted calls. Sign up for the Direct Marketing Association’s Telephone Preference Service. DMA member companies that participate in this industry-sponsored program will put you on their “do not call” lists. If you are repeatedly called by fraudulent telemarketers, you may want to consider changing your phone number.

Telephone Preference Service P.O. Box 9014 Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014

• Don’t be shy about hanging up. Your phone is just like the door to your home or apartment. You don’t have to pen it or invite people in, and you can ask guests to leave at any time. Fraudulent telemarketers are very good at lying to, bullying or sweet-talking their intended victims. The longer you stay on the line, the deeper they sink in their hooks. Don’t let a criminal in your home through your telephone line!

Home Improvement and Home Repair Frauds

Because home repairs and improvements are expensive undertakings, con men and vagabond thieves have entered the industry to rip you off. Be careful if somebody mails you a brochure offering to do an expensive job for an unusually low price. This is a favorite trick of dishonest home repair firms. Once you sign the contract, you learn why the price is so low, the firm never delivers the service you paid for in advance.

Free inspections by con men turn up plenty of expensive repairs you don’t need. Some vagabond thieves may not even mail you an offer to do free inspection. They just show up at your home and try to gain access by posing as utility repairmen or home and try to gain access by posing as utility repairmen or home insulation inspectors offering a free inspection. They may quickly flash something that looks like an identification card to convince you to let them enter. Some shady operators offer to do the work on the spot. However, when they leave, you may be left with a large bill and a faulty repair job.

Precautions you can take to make an informed decision include:

• Always get several estimates for every repair job and compare prices and terms. Ask if there is a charge for an estimate before agreeing to let the repairperson or company inspect your home. • Make sure you know your salesperson’s name and the name and address of the company he or she represents. • Ask the firm for references, and check them out. Inspect the finished product. Contact your local Better Business Bureau to check out the company’s reputation before you authorize any work or pay any money. • If you decide to sign a contract, make sure a completion date is specified and that you know what the job will cost, if the work will be subcontracted, if a bond will be posted to protect you against liens on your home, if the contract includes all oral promises made, and if materials to be used are described in detail.

Always pay for home improvement work with a check or money order, never with cash. You may wish to make installment payments at the beginning of a job, when the work is almost complete, and after the job is finished. Many reputable companies do not require payment until work is completed.

If you have been taken in a home improvement fraud scheme, and the U.S. Mail system was used in any way, report your experience to your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

The Phony Inheritance Scam

Wouldn’t it be nice if you came into an inheritance from a long-distance relative or friend? It does happen, but not very often. So if you receive a notification in the mail From an “estate locator” saying that there is an unclaimed inheritance waiting for you, beware. You could be the target of a slick con artist.

There unscrupulous white collar criminals also call themselves “research specialists”, but they didn’t find you by doing research. You are one of thousands across the nation who are targeted in mass mailings. Thousands of individuals with the same last name receive notification that inheritance funds have been located in their names. Many of these recipients are lured into mailing in a fee, sometimes $30 or more, for an estate report, which will supposedly explain where the inheritance is located and how it can be claimed. The promoter may also offer to process your claim for a fee.

All the individuals on the mailing list receive the same estate information, so chances are almost zero that you are the actual heir. In the rare instance when someone on the mailing list has the right to claim the funds, the amount is negligible because many accounts are so small. They may actually be worth less than the fee you must pay to the promoter.

You can protect yourself by checking other sources before sending funds in response to an “estate locator” solicitation. Checking with relatives about recent deaths in the family is one approach. In addition, you can check with the local Better Business Bureau, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, or State Attorney General’s office to see if there have been any investigations into the activities of the person or firm making the solicitation.

Remember, legitimate law firms, executors of wills, and others who have been named to distribute estate funds to rightful heirs normally do no request you to pay a fee to find about your share of the estate. If you have been the victim of a phony estate locator scheme, or if you have received a suspicious solicitation in the mail stating an unclaimed inheritance awaits you, report your experience to your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector.

Receipt of Unsolicited Merchandise

A company sends you a gift in the mail, a ball point pen, a key chain, a tie. But you did not order it. What do you do? If you are the type of person this company is looking for, you may feel guilty about accepting the item without paying for it. Don’t feel guilty! It is yours, and you are under no obligation to pay anything.

You, the consumer, may only legally be sent two types of merchandise through the mail without your consent or agreement:

• Free samples, which are clearly and conspicuously marked as such. • Merchandise mailed by a charitable organization that is soliciting contributions

And in these two cases, you can consider the merchandise a gift if you wish. In all other situations, it is illegal to send merchandise to someone, unless that person has previously ordered or requested it.

These rules are codified in Title 39, United States Code, Section 3009. That section of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 incorporates these protections of American consumers and makes the mailing of unordered merchandise unfair methods of competition and unfair trade practices under the law.

If you do not wish to pay for unsolicited merchandise or make donation to a charity sending such an item, you may do one of three things (in each case, by law, you have no obligation to the sender):

• If you have not opened the package, you may mark it “Return to Sender,” and the Postal Service will return it with no additional postage charged to you. • If you open the package and don’t like what you find, you may throw it away. • If you open the package and like what you find, you may keep it for free. In this instance, “finders-keepers” applies unconditionally.

Furthermore, it is illegal for a company that sends you unordered merchandise to follow the mailing with a bill or dunning communication.

If you are aware of violations of the federal law prohibiting the mailing of unordered merchandise, or if you have personally had difficulty with such items, especially if you are sent statements demanding payment for the merchandise, you should contact your local postmaster or the nearest Postal Inspector.

Missing Person Fraud Scheme

The missing persons scam is one of the more unusual types of fraud schemes. It preys on those people whose loved ones have disappeared. For example, Postal Inspectors once investigated a promoter who was running a “recovery bureau.” The bureau attempted to collect $20,000 on the basis of fraudulent claims that it knows the whereabouts of a California man’s missing former wife and children.

The Californian traveled to Michigan based on the promoter’s promises that he could find and reclaim his family in that state. The man became suspicious when the contact he was sent to see in Michigan demanded a $20,000 payment before he would provide any information about the missing former wife and children.

Subsequent investigation by Postal Inspectors revealed that the ex-wife and children had never been in Michigan. The promoter had no information about the missing family members. In reality, he had only received a routine notice from a private investigator who was seeking assistance in finding the ex-wife and children.

The Postal Inspector Service warns families with missing children, spouses or other relatives, or friends, to be cautious about persons who demand money for information leading to the whereabouts of those missing persons. When such information is made available for sale, law enforcement authorities should be contacted to assure the validity of the claims being made about the whereabouts of missing persons.

You should also consider contacting your local Better Business Bureau, the District Attorney’s Office Consumer Protection Unit, or the Postal Inspection Service to determine if they are investigating any missing persons “recovery bureau” for possible fraudulent activity.

If you have been victimized in a fraudulent missing persons scheme in which the U.S. Mail was used, or if you have received a suspicious solicitation in the mail which offers to provide information about missing family members or friends for a fee, report your experience to your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector.

Prison Pen Pal Money Order Scam

Singles in search of romance are increasingly turning to personal ads. But so are criminals looking for an easy mark. Prisoners’ personal ads have proliferated in recent years, and some prisoners may be looking for genuine contact with life outside their prison walls. However, many ads placed by prisoners are part of a sophisticated mail fraud scheme that misuses postal money orders to bilk consumers of their hard-earned savings.

Be aware of the telltale signs of this unusual scheme. If you begin to write letters to a prisoner who is attempting to cultivate you for his mail fraud scheme, he will slowly attempt to gain your trust and confidence. If you are a single woman, he may even send you love letters and handsome photos, and promise to marry you upon his release. Male prisoners posing as women to try to lure men into the scheme as well.

While confessing their love for you, he will also admit he is serving a prison term for a tax violation or other non-violent offense. But he will say his prison term is almost up, and he is looking forward to starting a new life together with you when he is freed.

Eventually, he will ask you to cash one or more postal or other money orders for him, claiming that he needs the money to pay attorney fees or court fines. Where does he get each high-value money order (often as much as $700)? He will obtain them from an accomplice outside the prison who buys them in small denominations (often only $1) and then smuggles them inside the prison, where inmates alter them to reflect higher values.

When you assist your pen pal by cashing any such money order, and sometimes there are many of them totaling thousands of dollars, you are told to send the money to a “friend” of the prisoner, whom you are told is helping with his legal defense. Of course, this friend is the outside accomplice. You will be told first to deposit the money orders in your personal bank account for temporary “safe-keeping” and then to pay out the funds to the outside accomplice.

Shortly after sending the money, you will receive a cruel “Dear Jane or John” letter asking you to understand that your penpal only did what he or she “had to do” to survive, and now he’s out, the relationship is over. But he’s not out. He is still in prison. And what is even worse, he now has your money, because the bank will charge your account for the phony money orders you deposited. Since the U.S. Postal Service routinely compares all of its cashed postal money orders with the original money order receipts, all altered postal money orders will ultimately be discovered.

Under current law, the person who cashes, or deposits and then withdraws, an altered money order is responsible for its total value, in this case, the altered value. Therefore, shortly after you pay out the temporarily held funds from your bank account, your bank will notify you that you must pay the difference between the issued amount and the raised amount. For example, if you cash a $1 money order that has been altered to $700, you will end up being charged $699 of your own money.

If you have received a money order from a prisoner, you should immediately contact a Postal Inspector through your local post office. And if you are a bank teller and are suspicious about the authenticity of a money order you are about to accept, you should refer the customer to the nearest post office.

Fraudulent Health and Medical Products

Senior citizens are special targets of the quacks and con men who are out to sell worthless medical products. Their claims are highly deceptive and usually promise miracles. Watch out for such exaggerated claims as “instant cures for arthritis,” “lose weight without effort,” “grow hair overnight,” or “look years younger.”

The pills, lotions and creams sold by these con artists will supposedly cures arthritis, rheumatism, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, obesity, impotency, and a host of other ailments. Hardly any of these products have been properly tested or proven medically effective, and some are even dangerous to your health.

These medically ineffective or dangerous products are sold by professional con men who have no medical training, and will use every trick to get you t buy their products. Sales gimmicks include bogus testimonials from “satisfied customers,” emotional sales pitches to play on your problems, and outright lies regarding a product’s effectiveness.

To avoid being taken by a worthless or quack cure, remember that you should not trust your health to a salesman. Also, remember:

• Do not believe claims that a product available only by mail or from an “exclusive” supplier contains a “special,” “secret,” “foreign,” or “ancient” formula that will provide the cure or relief you seek. • Do not believe claims that a “miracle” drug or product will effectively treat a wide variety of illnesses or ailments. • Do not accept “testimonials” or case histories from “satisfied customers” as the only evidence that the product actually works. • Do not believe claims the medical establishment overlooked or suppressed a “scientific breakthrough” the promoter is trying to sell you.

If you have any doubts about a product someone is trying to sell you that promise the relief you have been looking for, discuss it first with your family doctor or other informed health professional. And remember money-back guarantees are usually worthless, and a product that sounds too good to be true probably won’t do what it claims to do. If you’ve been victimized by a health product fraud scheme, report your experience to your local postmaster, or nearest Postal Inspector.

Identity Theft (from Crime Prevention Association of Michigan)

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. Credit card numbers, driver’s license numbers, social security number, and other personal identification can net criminals thousands of dollars in a very short period of time.

While the financial loss incurred by this type of crime is not always incurred by the consumer, it can significantly traumatize them, and take them months if not years to restore their credit and good name, and may keep them from being able to cash checks, obtain loans, or even rent an apartment.

Ten Ways to Protect Yourself

You can minimize the risk of being victimized by taking the following steps:

1. Never leave your purse or wallet unattended, at work, at restaurants, at health fitness clubs, in your shopping cart, at church, at parties. Never leave your purse or wallet in open view in your car, even when locked. 2. Destroy all check immediately when you close your checking account. Destroy or keep in a secure place, any courtesy checks that your bank or credit card company may mail to you. 3. Reconcile your check and credit card statements in a timely fashion and challenge any purchases you did not make. 4. Limit the number of credit cards you have, and cancel any inactive accounts. 5. Never give any credit card, bank, or social security information to anyone over the telephone. 6. Minimize exposure of your social security and credit card numbers. If the numbers are requested for check cashing purposes, ask if the business has alternative options such as a check-cashing card. 7. Safeguard your credit and debit and ATM card receipts and shred them for disposing of them. 8. Scrutinize your utility and subscription bills to make sure the charges are yours. 9. Memorize your passwords and personal identification (PIN) numbers. Keep your PIN numbers somewhere that only you know about, anywhere but with your credit cards. Don’t give out your PIN. Keeping your numbers to yourself is the best way to keep your credit cards secure. 10. Keep a list, or photocopy all credit and identification cards you carry with you, including front and back, so that you can quickly call the issues to inform them about missing or stolen cards.

If You are the Victim of Identity Theft

1. Report the incident to the police immediately. If you know where your identification was stolen, that would be the jurisdiction you would have to report it to. Insist you be given a complaint number. 2. Report all stolen cards to the issuers immediately and request new cards be issued. Follow up with written notification. 3. Notify your bank in the event your checks were stolen and request that your account be closed. 4. In order to prove your innocence, be prepared to fill out affidavits of forgeries for banks, credit grantors and recipients of stolen checks. They are joint victims with you and may suffer financial loss. 5. Contact the social security officer if someone is using your social security number to establish credit or new accounts. 6. All three major credit-reporting agencies in the United States have Fraud Assistance programs, with toll free telephone numbers. Report the theft of your credit cards and request that your account be flagged to all three of the following companies:

Equifax Credit Information Services, Consumer Fraud Division, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374. Telephone (800) 525-6285 Fax (770) 612-2518

TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance, P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, CA 92634 Telephone (800) 680-7289 Fax (714) 447-6034

TRW Information (Esperian) Consumer Fraud Assistance, P.O. Box 1017, Allen, TX 75013 Telephone (800) 301-7195 Fax (214) 390-3527

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Business Crime Prevention

Most criminals are opportunists. Either the victim himself or the victim acting unwittingly in response to a stimulus created by the criminal may create opportunity. A business door being left unlocked after closing is an example of the victim creating the opportunity. In either case, an awareness of the potential for crime empowers individuals and business to act more cautiously, thus, eliminating the opportunity. It requires, for many, to change the way they think and it requires putting healthy suspicion into our daily lives and activities. It compels us to shed the “blinders” that we unknowingly wear as we go about our day, oblivious to the real threats that exists to our daily safety and survival.

Businesses can take an active role in reducing criminal opportunity in and around their property by participating in a variety of crime prevention initiatives. While other chapters cover several of these methods in much more detail, they are all important in a comprehensive business crime prevention and control program. They include:

Business Watch Program

The business anti crime council or Business Watch program, like Neighborhood Watch, is designed to enhance community security through heightened awareness and open communication between police and citizens. It helps reduce crimes in commercial areas, particularly shoplifting, theft, burglaries, purse snatching, drug dealing, and vandalism. The Business Watch program helps build relationships between store owners and employees within a particular geographic area. By watching out for each other, businesses can maintain a safer working and shopping atmosphere within and around their establishment. A communication system, such as a fax network, between the businesses should be established to pass on information about suspicious persons or activities.

Typical Watch activities include crime reporting, Operation Identification, robbery prevention, burglary prevention, and self-protection for merchants and employees. At Business Watch orientation training, storeowners and employees can be encouraged to get to know the schedules and employees of the other establishments within their area. Additionally, a crime prevention officer could train employees on safe opening and closing procedures, as well how best to react during a robbery. Finally, the crime prevention officer could also explain how businesses can prevent crime by reporting suspicious persons or activities to police without delay so law enforcement officers can investigate them. Window decals or signs can identify participants, further deterring crime.

Nationally, businesses are robbed ten times more often than individuals, they experience most nighttime burglaries than homes and they are the sole target of shoplifters. As a result, business owners and managers usually welcome the assistance of local law enforcement in helping them decrease their losses and increase their bottom line.

Commercial Security Surveys-Burglary Prevention

Businesses can reduce their vulnerability to crime in many ways. Security measures like updated locks, lightning, and alarms can make any establishment a less attractive target for criminals. In addition, many local police and sheriffs’ departments offer commercial security surveys to area businesses.

The crime prevention officer could visit the establishment and evaluate its physical and procedural security measures. The officer would inform the business owner or manager how their particular business may be most susceptible to crime, and factors that may be making their business an attractive target to prospective criminals. The officer could complete survey by offering specific suggestions on how the business could lower the discussed during the survey should be kept strictly confidential. Remember, most criminals are opportunists, and the goal of a security survey is to reduce the opportunity. These methods include, but are not limited to:

• Lights: Proper lighting eliminates shadows, which burglars use for cover. Light up all points of entry, including those on the roof. Leave lights on inside just as you would do at home. Install lighting at the front and back in addition to any side doors of your business. • Doors: As with windows, check for signs of any structural weaknesses. Use heavy and solid constructions, material that is drill-resistant. You can also reinforce the backs of doors with crossbars. Be sure the doorframes cannot easily be jimmied. • Locks: Secure doors, windows, skylights and other openings with the best possible locks. No lock is burglar proof, but the longer and harder a burglar finds it to break in, the more likely they simply give up or are caught. Use deadbolts and be sure to change the locks every time an employee with access to them leaves. • Windows: Check window frames to see if they are loose or rotting, and ensure that the windows offer visibility. Arrange merchandise so that a passerby can see into the store. The store employee needs to be able to notice dangers outside and let witnesses see trouble inside. So keep windows clear of obstructions, from stacked boxes on the floor to high shrubs besides the walkways. Covering windows with bars or grills for added protection may be necessary. Install burglar-resistant glass or use wire mesh or iron bars over all the glass • Safe: Reduce how much cash you have on hand after hours. If you have cash or other valuables, keep them in a safe anchored to the floor and that is in an illuminated location visible from the outside. Change the combination if staff who are familiar with it leaves. Install and use a drop safe. Limit how much cash is in the register and post signs saying that a drop safe is used and registers have only limited cash. • Store displays: Keep your expensive merchandise away from the windows, toward the center of the store. • Roof: Check ventilation system to ensure it can not be used to gain entry. • Fences: Make sure that fences are high and sturdy enough so they are not too easy to breach. For some workplaces, barbed wire on top of the fence may be appropriate. • Alarm System: Install an alarm system. At least an alarm offers a measure of peace of mind. It is a deterrent to burglars, or forces them to get out quickly if they happen to break in. Post warnings in clear view that the business is equipped with an alarm, and train staff to avoid false alarms.

Parking Lot Security

Car jacking auto break-ins, car thefts, armed robberies, rapes, parking lots present all these dangers and more. Whether the parking lot is next to a larger business or is operating as a parking lot business, it is the responsibility of the owner or manager to make the lost as safe as possible. To accomplish this goal, the business should create a security plan to safeguard the lot area. This plan should include:

• Signs: Make sure lot users can find entrances and exits easily. Use signs to remind lot users to take precautions, such as “Lock Your Car” or “Remember Your Level and Aisle Number.” Some garages have sheets of paper at the elevator or stairs that a person can pick up to remind them where they are parked. A person wandering a parking garage is an easy target for a criminal. You can also warn potential criminals through signs like “No Trespassing,” “Security Patrolled” or “Lot Monitored by Video Surveillance” (but only if it is true; you do not want to give a false sense of security. • Emergency Telephones: If the parking lot is large, the use of emergency telephones that directly dials security or the local police or sheriff’s department may be warranted. • Alarms: Alarms, such as duress or elevator alarms, should be clearly marked, and zoned for response so that security personnel can find any breaches quickly. • Lighting: Criminals love anything that will cover their activities, especially darkness. Use sufficient illumination, and replace burned out light promptly. Have a regular maintenance plan in place for inspecting current lighting and to recommend additional lighting. • Video Surveillance: The decision to use security cameras depends largely on the available budget, monitoring capabilities, and the physical environment. For outdoor lots, cameras can give security personnel a feel for what is happening in the general area. Indoors, cameras are particularly effective at elevators, lobbies, entrances and exits, cash/ticket booths, stairwells, or nay other are where people stand and wait. • Security Patrols: If a security force is available, patrol regularly and vary the patrol times and routes to avoid being predictable. • Facilities Design” Paint underground walls white to increase the light levels. Reduce hiding places for criminals and maximize visibility for any patrols (or for potential witnesses to a crime). Keep exterior walls and foliage less than three feet, and trim any tree branches below six feet. • Cash/Ticket Booths: Be sure to exercise good robbery prevention techniques since parking lot cashiers are frequent targets of robbery. • Access Control: Even in restricted lot controlling access is tough. Without turning it into a fortress, you can take precautions such as using pass cards, installing motion detectors to keep trespassers away, and linking emergency doors to the alarm. Anyone noticing strangers lurking in the lot should notify security or the police immediately.

While the business owner or parking lot operator has a duty to protect the area, parking lot patrons must also exercise good crime prevention habits. To help they should:

• Park in a well-lighted area as close as possible to the exit you will be using. • Lock the car and roll up the windows all the way. • Patrons should lock any valuables or packages in the trunk. • Use an escort to your vehicle. Ask the security guard or a co-worker to escort you to your car. • Have your keys ready for a quick entry into the vehicle. • Check your vehicle for signs of a break-in and for anyone hiding inside.

By taking common sense security steps, both owners and operators and users can both greatly increase the safety of the parking lot.

Business Alarms

Business premise security is one of the most important aspects of practicing sound crime prevention tactics. Burglary is a big business and to help prevent it, good locking, lighting and alarm systems play a crucial role in protecting the business’ assets. The latest crime figures available from the FBI show that four burglaries occur every minute of every day. It is no wonder then that many homeowners and business owners are considering electronic alarm protection.

Unfortunately, there are some people in the burglar alarm industry who are out to take advantage of the anxious alarm buyer. Therefore, the selection of a proper alarm system is not always a simple matter. The needs of each individual homeowner and business owner are different. Some questions that should be answered when selection an alarm system include:

• What is the system going to protect? Identify the target of the thief. • Where are the possible points of entry? Doors, windows, roofs, etc. • What are the locations and types of sensors needed? Motion detectors, glass break detectors, hold up switches, etc. • How will the alarm notify authorities? Through direct telephone dial, a local annunciation device, central monitoring station, etc. • What type of monitoring is needed? Is it connected to a central monitoring station? • Who will be operating the system? The type and complexity of the user control board.

An alarm system should be simple to operate, designed to fit the lifestyle of the homeowner or the daily operating procedures of the business, and be easily adaptable to any foreseeable changes. An alarm system that does not fit your requirements will undoubtedly end up causing excessive false alarms, and will likely no longer be used.

Preventing False Alarms

One of the most persistent problems facing local law enforcement today is the increasing demand for their services for responding to false alarms. Many local governments have passed legislation to help deal with the problem, including escalating fines for continued false alarms. Business can help by:

• Maintaining their system- Faulty equipment is a major cause of unnecessary alarms. Simple routine maintenance is crucial to ensure any alarm system’s reliability. Check with your alarm installer or manufacturer to find out what maintenance schedule you should follow. One or two checks per year by an alarm system specialist may be all that is needed to guarantee proper operation. • Training all users- Every system operator must be familiar with the system and properly trained in its use. All authorized users must know the code, and be notified immediately when management has changed it. They must also know how to quickly notify the alarm monitoring company of an accidental activation. • Develop a routine in arming the system-Before arming your system, be sure all doors and windows are closed and locked. Be sure no one is left on the premise if someone will be remaining inside, make them aware that the alarm is being turned on. Finally, supply all system users with an alarm operator’s checklist. • Additional tips-Keep your alarm company informed of any custodial or cleaning service personnel that may be in your home or business while you are away. Also, keep all motion detector sensors aimed away from heating vents, windows where they may falsely activate due to heat movement (no motion detectors should be used in households with pets such as cats or dogs that can roam about the house while you are gone.)

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Crime prevention officers can review plans of new developments, buildings, or any other proposed structures to be built along with major renovations of existing structures for recommendations to prevent crime even before the construction begins. This process is called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and its objective is to have structures designed with crime prevention tactics incorporated to reduce the probability of crime. Correcting problems at this stage of design is much more economical than initiating corrective action after it has been built.

CPTED examines various aspects of community planning including the following:

- The creation of space, its use and safety; - The locations of land uses; - The positions of buildings and other structures; - Interior and exterior design details such as color, lighting, entrances and exits, and landscaping; and, - The users of space and when and how the will use it.

CPTED should be a key element in any local comprehensive crime prevention and control program. Decisions made by planners, designers, and law enforcement officials can help or hinder a neighborhood for many years to come.

To encourage builders to practice these preventive measures, many local police and sheriff’s departments prepare an extensive detailed report as to not only what changes are suggested, but also why the recommendations would increase the safety of persons and property within the proposed structure. These decisions influence resident and business conditions and behavior. They also influence two related phenomena-the probability that a crime will occur and the public’s perception of community safety.

CPTED make efficient use of local resources by involving a variety of local agencies (such as planning, law enforcement, licensing, and code enforcement, housing, and other) and members of the community in the solution and provides alternatives to traditional methods of dealing with crime. This multi disciplinary approach includes collaborating to define problems, identify solutions, carry out the most feasible plan, and evaluate the results. In addition, it helps fix underlying problems instead of giving isolated solutions to individual incidents. CPTED is most effective when the collaborators participate in an ongoing exchange of information that helps them to anticipate community needs rather than react to them.

In most locations, unlike the fire prevention ordinances, these crime prevention recommendations are merely suggestions and not required by law, although some localities have enacted CPTED principles into their local planning laws. With the issue of civil liability by a designer or builder who negligently ignores foreseeable crime risks increasing, more litigation may be seen in the future where a plaintiff is alleging negligence for building a dangerous, criminally inviting environment.

Internal Theft Precautions

Internal theft is a potential problem in any business. Most employees, like the rest of the society are honest however, studies frequently cite internal theft as a major cause for small business failures. Here are a few precautions to take to prevent staff from stealing from their employer:

• Hiring: Be sure to check references and to conduct background checks on those positions involving a high level of trust. • Job Functions: Separate the duties of purchasing, receiving and accounting to reduce the ability of one employee to accomplish a theft without the help of another staff member. When two or more people are involved in a particular function, instead of one, they would have to collude to defraud the company. • Purchasing: Have the purchasing function centralized to better control and supervise it. Control purchase orders by sequentially pre numbering them, and require supporting documentation for each expense invoice. Use pre numbered checks, so that management can track all expenditures in sequence. • Receiving: Create and control access to receiving area. Use pre numbered receiving control forms to record shipments. Count and weigh all materials and compare the results with the shipping documents. Require two people to verify each shipment received. They will keep other in check unless they start working together to defraud the company. To help prevent this, change at least one staff member frequently. • Shipping: Have one employee to assemble an order an another to check an pack ti to reduce theft opportunities and errors. Seal the shipping cartons. Maintain records of stock movements and conduct frequent inventories. • Key Control: Maintain strict control over who is issued keys allowing access and occasionally conduct an audit of the keys. Never leave an office keys hanging on a nail or in the lock, where they can be “borrowed” and duplicated. Be sure to change the locks should keys be lost or believed to be compromised. • Cash Control: Cashiers should close the register after every transaction and be required to provide receipts to customers. Voided or under rings and all returns should required verification. Management should conduct surprise cash counts. • Anyone Can Steal- To identify high-risk staff members, look for:

- Employees living beyond their means: the money must be coming from somewhere- it could be from the company coffers. - Wronged employees: sometimes-disgruntled employees believe they may get back at the company for grievances or perceived slights through stealing. - Troubled or immature employees: They may find an emotional release in antisocial behaviors such as theft. - Drug Abusers: often find themselves under great financial pressures to maintain their habits. Again the company’s assets become attractive to help satisfy this need. - Rule breakers: an employee who frequently violates company policy or rules may not be trustworthy to handle merchandise or cash.

By removing the opportunity a business has greatly cut the odds of becoming a victim. Staff steal not only because they can get away with it, but because they have a financial need or thing they are taking what is owed to them. It is disappointing to find that a long time-trusted employee has taken advantage of the company and broken the law. By setting up basic loss prevention techniques, any business can hopefully avoid this unpleasant event and reduce the chances of becoming a victim of internal theft.

Shoplifting Prevention

Businesses lose billions of dollars each year to shoplifting, and then often must pass this loss on to the customers through higher prices. To help prevent this increasing problem businesses should:

• Train employees in how to reduce opportunities for shoplifting and how to apprehend shoplifters. Businesses should work with law enforcement to teach employees what actions may signal shoplifting and the appropriate safe method to approach suspected shoplifters. • Design the store layout so all persons must pass by security personnel or store employees as they exit. The business may want to sue an electronic article surveillance system or other inventory control device to deter shoplifting. • The cash register should be inaccessible to customers. It should be locked and monitored at all times. Place it near the front of the store so employees can monitor customers coming and going. • Dressing rooms and restrooms should be monitored at all times. Keep dressing rooms locked and limit the number of items taken in. • Keep the store neat and orderly. Keep displays full and orderly, so employees can see at a glance if something is missing. • Mirrors may be used to eliminate “blind spots” in corners that might aid shoplifters in concealing their trade. • Keep expensive merchandise in locked cases. Limit the number of items employees remove at any one time for customers to examine. • Merchandise should be kept away from store exits to prevent grab-and-run situations.

Vandalism Prevention

Again customers shoulder most of the burden of this crime as businesses pass a portion of the costs of vandalism on to a customers through higher prices. Most vandals are young people-from grade school students to young adults. Businesses should:

• Clean up vandalism as soon as it is discovered. Replace signs, repair equipment, paint over graffiti quickly in order to not encourage additional damage. Once the graffiti is gone, use landscape designs (such as prickly shrubs or closely planted hedges), building materials (such as hard-to-mark surfaces), lighting, or fences to discourage future vandals. • Use simple burglary prevention methods to also help prevent vandalism. They should install and use good lighting and locking gates. Eliminate places where someone might hide, such as trees, shrubbery, stairwells, and alleys. • Report to the police someone vandalizing property. Remember, vandalism is a crime with both businesses and customers suffering the loss.

Robbery Prevention

While potential robbers are deciding whether to rob the store, store managers or clerks can do things that robbers do not like or that frustrate their intentions. The idea is to unnerve potential robbers. They include:

Use Good Cash Handling Procedures to Limit Money in Cash Register:

• Keep as little money as possible in the cash register as possible, especially large bills. Be sure to display notices at entrances and near cash registers informing the public of these practices. • Post a sign that the business may not accept large bills after a certain times. Stores can operate on very little money if you request customers to pay for their purchases with the smallest bill and the exact change. If you need any particular denomination of money, ask your customers. They can offer help. • Use a drop safe is one equipped with a slot to accept bills while the door remains locked. If a drop safe is available:

Put all $100, $50, and $20 bills into the drop box or floor safe when they are received. Do so publicly. Tell customers the purpose of making the drop- Again to educate the public and to make the store less attractive to potential robbers, thus making robbing this business no longer worth risking imprisonment for. While casing your store before a robbery, would-be robbers look into the cash register while it is open during a sale. If they see only change and small bills, they are less likely to rob the business. Do not count cash in the presence of customers when clearing the register, particularly at closing time. This may provoke a spontaneous robbery, or, if repeated, will allow a potential robber to plan a robbery knowing when and how much money he can expect to take.

• Bank deposits can be used to reduce how much cash is on hand. When transporting receipts from a business to a bank or depository, do not use obvious moneybags and avoid drawing attention to the fact they are carrying money. If possible, have someone accompany you and frequently alter your route and time of delivery. • Consider the use of bait money in all registers. Record the series, serial numbers and denominations of a small amount of bills and if there is a robbery, give these bills to the robber. Be sure to verify bait money regularly. Identification of stolen property is always a problem, especially cash. Unless the business can prove ownership for court purposes, use of bait money is useless.

Give the Store a Look that Says-We Are Alert

A drowsy clerk in a messy store may invite would be robbers. To discourage the potential robber businesses should:

• Have clerks get out from behind the counter when the store is empty. They can:

- Keep the store clean and uncluttered; - Keep the store well stocked; and, - Keep active. The clerk’s activity may turn away some robbers simply because it would take too much time for them to accomplish the robbery. Robbers prefer to quickly get in and out.

• Increase visibility:

- Robbers do not want to be visible from outside the business. They do not want a police officer other witness, who may be passing by, to see them with a gun in their hand holding you up. - The store cash register should be located to allow a clear view for passing motorist, pedestrians and police patrols. If there is a robbery, a store employee can note car descriptions and direction of travel. - Both the interior and the exterior of a business should be well illuminated to deter robbers from hiding in shadows or poorly lit areas. Poorly lit parking lots around businesses give potential robbers cover while they observe the store. It also restricts the ability of the victim to identify a getaway car. Customers will appreciate a well-lit parking area, as their comfort level will increase. - Since most robberies occur after dark, block off areas outside where robbers could stand without being visible from inside the business. - Store management should consider nighttime changes in the locations of the store signs or displays that may block the visibility of the cash register from outside the store.

• Always Keep a Sharp Lookout:

- Occasionally the store employee should look at likely places such as outdoor phone boots or cars parked either across the street or in the lot, where a potential robber could be casing the business; - Observe whether anyone might be watching the store or loitering; and, - If the person does not leave, call the police or sheriff’s department. Tell them where you are and what you see. The officer would rather check out a suspicious person rather than take a robbery report.

• Greet Each Person Who Comes into the Store:

- Give everyone a friendly greeting. A robber does not want to be identified. Robbing strangers with as little human contact as possible is safer. - Look each customer directly in the eyes. Such human contact will spoil it for some would-be-robbers. It decreases their element of surprise, threatens them with the possibility of being identified later and makes it difficult for them to liter in the store and watch you unnoticed; - Ask the customer ahead of the suspicious person, leave the counter on an errand in the store and say, “I will be with you in a minute.”

• Special Late Night Steps:

- Most store robberies occur after dark. At that time you should take special steps to make the store a less attractive target to would be robbers.

Keep money in the cash register at the absolute minimum. Many stores operate with less than fifty dollars between two registers. Be certain all inside and outside lights are on and working. Don’t Lie to Robbers: Fake security devices and signs do not help. Robbers soon learn to ignore them.

Businesses should follow these robbery prevention measures carefully and make sure their employees observe them also.

Bad Check Fraud

Many fraudulent checks are blatantly bogus. Store employees can often detect a possible bad check before accepting it as payment by paying close attention to the check’s appearance. The following telltale signs may indicate a phony check:

• There is no perforation on check edges possibly indicating a copy of an actual check instead of one that was removed from a series of checks. • Is the check being cashed within a one-year time frame? Checks with a date over a year ago may be expired or forged. • Does the signature match the imprinted name or identification provided? • Does the type of identification appear to be genuine and unaltered? • Does the identification really belong to the person presenting it? • The check is numbered under 500, which may indicate it is a new account. • The check has apparently altered writing or erasures. • The check is post-dated. • The check has water spots alterations of check’s color or graphic background. • The check’s magnetic ink has a glossy rather than dull finish.

Store personnel may help protect their employers against possible losses by requiring management approval of the check or asking for an alternative form of payment.

Counterfeit Currency

Counterfeiting of money is one of our nation’s oldest crimes. Today it still represents a potential danger to the national economy. Today, counterfeiting once again is on the rise. One reason for this is the ease and speed with which large quantities of counterfeit currency can be produced using modern photographic and printing equipment as well as computer equipment. Businesses can help guard against this threat by being more familiar with our currency. The following information will list how to detect counterfeit bills and coins and how to guard against forgery losses.

The New Security Features of Recently Redesigned U.S. Currency

• Two new security – a denominated security thread and micro printing – are being added to U.S. currency to help deter all counterfeiting, but especially office machine copier counterfeiting. The new features will appear in $50 and $100 Federal Reserve Notes, Series 1990. All other denominations will be gradually phased in, with the possible exception of the $1 denomination. • The security thread is embedded in the paper and runs vertically through the clear field to the left of the Federal Reserve seal on all notes except the $1 denomination. If it is decided to use the thread in the $1 denomination, it will be located between the Federal Reserve seal and the portrait. • On $20 denominations and lower, the security thread has “USA” followed by the identifier, e.g., “USA Twenty USA Twenty.” Higher denominations have “USA” plus the numerical value, such as “USA 50 USA 50” repeated along the length of the thread. The thread and printing are easily seen when held up to a light source. The inscriptions are printed so they can be read from either the face or the back of the note. • Concurrent with the addition of the security thread, a line of micro printing appears on the rim of the portrait on $50 and $100 denominations, beginning with Series 1990. The words “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” are repeated along the sides of the portrait. As with the new security thread, the micro printing will also be gradually phased in on all denominations, with the possible exception of the $1 denomination. To the naked eye the micro printing appears as little more than a solid line and can only be read by using magnification.

Recognizing the Counterfeit Bill

The best method of detecting a counterfeit bill is to compare the suspect bill with a genuine bill of the same denomination and series. Look for:

• The red and blue fibers in the paper. Often counterfeiters attempt to copy these fibers by printing colored lines on the paper. • The security thread in the paper and for the micro printing by the portrait. However, it will take several years before these features appear in all currency, so compare other features with a genuine bill. • Differences, not similarities. Counterfeiters do not have access to equipment as sophisticated as the Government’s. Nor do they possess the skill of the Government’s master craftsmen. Therefore, counterfeit bills are inferior in quality. A photomechanical process makes most counterfeits. The printing appears flat and lacks the three-dimensional quality of genuine bills. If you look closely, you can see that the lines in the portrait background from squares. On counterfeits, some of these squares may be filled in , and many of the delicate lines in the portrait may be broken or missing.

If You Receive a Counterfeit Bill:

• Do not return it to the passer. • Note the passer’s description, the description of any companion, and the license number of the vehicle used. • Delay the passer, if possible. • Telephone the police or sheriff’s department or the United States Secret Service. • Write your initials and the date on the bill. • Handle the bill as little as possible to preserve any fingerprints and place it in a protective cover. • Surrender the bill only to the police, sheriff’s department or the U.S. Secret Service.

Credit Card Fraud

Credit card fraud cost billions of dollars each year. To help prevent this fraud businesses should:

• Train their employees to follow the authorization procedures of each credit card company. • Instruct the sales staff to:

- Be skeptical of a customer with only one credit card and one piece of identification. - Be aware of the customer who makes several small purchases that are under the amount of manager or credit approval. - Be observant of whether the item being purchased one that could easily fenced for cash? This could include cigarettes, meat, televisions, stereos, cameras, and other portable items. - Make a note of appearance, companions, any vehicle used, and identification presented if they are suspicious of the purchaser. Contact store or mall security or the police or sheriff’s department to investigate. - Look for “ghost” numbers or letters. Many times criminals will change the numbers and/or name on the stolen card. To do this they either melt the original name and numbers off or file them off. Both of these processes can leave faint imprints of the original characters. - Examine the signature strip on the credit card. A criminal may cover the real card owner’s signature with “White-Out” and sign it on the new strip. - Check to see if the signature on the card compares favorably with the signature on the sales slip.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Credit Card Security Precautions

The fraudulent use of credit cards is not limited to the loss or theft of actual credit cards. A capable criminal only needs to know your credit card number to fraudulently make numerous charges, including cash withdrawals, against your account. The following are a number of crime prevention tips or recommendations to guard against the illegal use of credit cards.

• Photocopy both the front and back of all your credit cards and keep the copies in a safe and secure location. This will enable you to cancel your credit card as soon as possible if it is lost or stolen. • Endorse all credit cards as soon as they arrive. • It is advisable not to carry credit cards in your wallet or purse. Carry them separately if possible. • Carry only the minimum number of credit cards actually needed and never leave them unattended. • When you write a check, never allow the salesperson to write down your credit card number on the check. If paying by credit card, never let the salesperson write down your driver’s license or social security number. • Avoid signing a blank receipt, whenever possible. Draw the line through blank spaces above the total when you sign the receipts. • Unless you are absolutely confident you are dealing with a reputable company, never give your credit card account number over the telephone. • Don’t be fooled by a scam where a con artist wants to verify your credit card number because you won a prize. One current scam involves con artists who call at random. The thief informs the victim that if their VISA card begins with the number four, and all MASTERCARDS begin with the number five. The only prize the cardholder gets is the fraudulent use of their credit card. • Notify credit card companies in advance of a change in address. • Destroy unused credit card applications such as those received in the mail advising the recipient “you have been pre-approved for….” • Open billing statements promptly and reconcile your card amounts each month, just as you would your checking account. • If you receive a letter stating you should have received a credit card in the mail, and you have not received it, notify the company or lending institution immediately. • Beware of vendors calling and attempting to sell merchandise or gifts over the telephone. Don’t give them your credit card number. • Always check catalogues to be sure your credit card number is not on the cover or mail order form. If it is, contact the company and tell them to immediately remove it. • When you use a credit card to make a purchase, maintain visual contact with the card and make sure no extra imprints of your card are made to other charge slips. Destroy all the carbons so no one can obtain your account number. • It is a good idea to retain your credit card receipts and check them against the monthly billing statement. • In the event your credit card is lost or stolen, immediately notify the credit card company. Most issuing banks or companies can be reached 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The majority of fraudulent purchases are made within 48 hours of loss.

Credit card thieves may sometimes call the victim, inform the person that their credit card has been found and that it is being returned. This ploy gives the thief time to go on a charging spree because the cardholder never calls to cancel the card. By virtue of the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA), if you report the loss of a credit card before it is used, the card issuer can not hold you responsible for any unauthorized charges. If a thief uses your credit card before you report it missing, the most you will owe for unauthorized charges on each credit card is $50.00.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Personal Safety Recommendations

Virtually all activities in life entail some level of risk, and we all have different attitudes toward risk. At one end of the scale is refusing to engage in an activity by exaggerating the level of risk involved. Neither of these attitudes are useful for living an empowered life. What is useful is to accurately assess the risks, take those precautions that make sense, and live as fully as possible.

The following precautions should be adopted within a cultural/gender context. They will not guarantee safety, but they will minimize criminal opportunities.

In Your Home or Apartment

• Have lights on all entrances. • Have a wide-angle door viewer on all exterior doors. • Have good locks on all doors and windows----and use them. • Do not use your full name on your mailbox, in the telephone directory, or on your answering machine. • Do not leave a schedule of your times away from home on you answering machine. • Know which of your neighbors you can trust and depend upon in an emergency. • Check who is at the door before opening it, and do not open the door to an unexpected visitor. • Don’t hide extra keys in easily accessible places. Criminals will find them. • Ask for photo identification of all repairpersons. If you are suspicious, call to verify employment. • Never give personal information to telephone solicitors. • Consider creating a “safe room” with a separate telephone line or cellular phone, and strong locks. If someone breaks in, you can retreat there and call for help. • Do not let strangers into your home or apartment to sue the telephone. Offer to make the call for them. • Use security bars for added security on sliding exterior doors.

On the Street

• Never hitchhike! It is not worth the risk! • Be very careful using outside ATMs at night or in unfamiliar surroundings. • When walking, walk in the middle of the sidewalk and walk facing on coming traffic. • Try no to overload yourself with packages or other items. Keep your hands as free as possible. • Do not wear music headphones while walking or jogging. • Do not read while walking or standing on a sidewalk. • If you wear a purse with a shoulder strap, be prepared to let it go if snatched. Otherwise you could be knocked down and hurt. • A good suggestion for men is to carry a second wallet containing a few dollar bills and old expired credit cards, which are normally destroyed or discarded. If confronted at knife or gunpoint, give the suspect the second wallet and concentrate on a good physical description to help the police in making the arrest. • Avoid being on the street alone if you are upset or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • If you carry a purse, carry it close to your body, preferably in front. Carry no more money or credit cards than you absolutely need.

In a Car

• Keep your car in good working order and the gas tank at least half full. • When you approach your parked vehicle, visually check the area around the vehicle for any suspicious persons or activity. If you observe anything suspicious walk to where there are other people and call the police. • Always park in visible, well-light areas. • If you drive a car, attempt to avoid parking next to larger pickup trucks or vans. They can be easy to hide behind. • Have your keys ready when approaching your vehicle to reduce the time needed to enter. • When operating your vehicle, keep the doors locked and the windows rolled up. • Drive with all the doors locked. • Any valuables in your car should be placed in the trunk or otherwise kept out of sight. • Exercise extra caution when using underground and enclosed parking garages. Try not to go alone. • When stopped at traffic lights or in traffic, allow space between you and the vehicle in front of you so you can drive away if necessary. • If someone approaches your vehicle and attempts to enter, blow your horn to attract attention and drive away. • Many people consider a cellular telephone to be a good investment in safety. • Do not pick up hitchhikers. • Do not open your window if someone approaches your vehicle to ask for directions, the time, etc. Keep your door locked. • Never leave house keys attached to car keys at service stations or parking facilities. • Do not stop for a stranded motorist. Instead, go to the nearest telephone booth and call the police for assistance. • If you have a flat tire, drive on it until you reach a safe, well-lighted and well- traveled area. • If your vehicle becomes disabled and help is not immediately available, raise the hood of the vehicle (if you can safely do so), attach a handkerchief to the door handle, and then stay in the vehicle with the doors locked and the windows up. Activate your hazard or parking lights. If someone stops to assist you, ask them through the closed window to call the police. • If you can afford to have one, take a cellular telephone with when driving. • Criminals sometimes stage a motor vehicle accident know as a “bump and rob.” The motorist is robbed when they exit their vehicle. If you are involved in a minor accident under suspicious circumstances, stay in your vehicle with the doors locked and the windows up and await the police. If you believe you are in possible danger, write down the license plate of the other vehicle involved in the accident and drive to a safe location to report the accident to the police. • If you are being followed, don’t drive home. Go to the nearest police or fire station and hone you horn. Or drive to an open gas station or other business where you can safely call the police. Don’t leave your car unless you are certain you can get inside the building safely. • Carry in your car------a flashlight, fix-a-flat, maps, comfortable warm clothing, a portable fire extinguisher, first aid kit, empty gas can, white cloth to tie to door handle or antenna to signal distress and a cellular phone. • If you are driving somewhere you are not familiar with, plan your route and check a map before you start out.

On Public Transportation

• Beware of overheard conversations. Don’t tell anyone on a bus or subway where you are going. • Stay awake and alert. • Have exact change ready. • Sit as close to the driver as possible. • If you sense someone is following you when you get off, walk toward other people or to an open business.

In a Building

• Avoid isolated corridors or hallways. • Be extra careful in stairwells and isolated or poorly lighted restrooms. • Avoid entering an elevator, which is occupied by only one other person who is a stranger. • In an elevator, stand near the controls and locate the emergency button. • If you are assaulted while in an elevator hit the emergency or alarm button and press as many floor buttons as possible.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Annoyance, Malicious and Harassing Telephone Calls

It is estimated by telephone officials that over a million people each year receive telephone calls that could be categorized as being annoying, malicious, harassing, crank, obscene or nuisance calls. Whichever title or heading they are referred to, these are telephone calls, which serve no legitimate purpose and represent an unwarranted invasion of privacy.

Annoyance or malicious telephone calls can become a chronic problem for some people, particularly women. They may include random calls by pranksters, calls at late-night hours (at student residence facilities), frequent pointless calls or those where the caller says nothing, obscene calls, calls from former romantic interests, or calls where a threat is made. These calls are intended to upset the person who receives them, either for revenge or to gratify the caller’s personal urges. These calls can often be prevented or avoided by persons learning and using some simple techniques to decrease their potential for victimization.

• Hang up. If the caller doesn’t speak, is obscene, asks inappropriate questions or you simply don’t feel comfortable talking to them, hang up the telephone. When doing so, don’t slam the receiver down. This will only let the caller know you are upset and may encourage them. • Don’t talk to strangers. If a caller asks “who is this?” or “what number have I reached?” don’t give an answer. Instead ask, “who do you want?” or “What number were you calling?” Don’t give out any information to anyone you don’t positively recognize or who fails to give satisfactory identification or affiliation. If the caller asks for your roommate or another member of your family, simply say you will be glad to bake a message and have the call returned as promptly as possible. Under no circumstances should you give the names of others living with you to someone who doesn’t already know them. If you have children, instruct them not to talk to strangers on the telephone. Burglars or other criminals will sometimes attempt to obtain useful information from unsuspecting children. Teach children to ask for the caller’s name and number so someone can return the call later. • Keep cool. Don’t let the caller know you are angry or upset. This is the reaction they want and will encourage them. • Do not play detective. Don’t extend the call attempting to figure out who is calling. This may be the reaction the caller wants or needs. • Do not try to be clever. A witty response may be interpreted as a sign of encouragement. • Do not try to be a counselor. The annoying or malicious caller probably needs professional help, but he/she may only be encouraged by your concern and will continue calling. • Be careful who you tell about the calls. Many calls of this type are actually made by friends, family members or someone else you know. If they find out you are upset or concerned, the calls may continue. • Place ads with caution. When placing an ad in the newspaper or on a bulletin board, use a newspaper or post office box number, if possible. If you must use your telephone number, do not list your address. Crank callers are often avid readers of classified ads. • Report annoying or malicious telephone calls. A recommended form for making a record of what time calls are received, what was said, what the voice sounds like, etc., is at the end of this chapter. Persons who receive annoying or malicious calls should use this form and contact their local police department. If the telephone calls are threatening, the appropriate law enforcement agency should be contacted immediately.

What Can Be Done to End the Calls?

Unfortunately, different telephone companies in different parts of the country have varying policies about what can be done to end annoying or malicious phone calls. Usually, if there is a continuing series of calls (ideally documented), if the calls are of an obscene or threatening nature, or if there is reason to believe the caller intends to inflict bodily harm or property damage, it may be possible to install a device on the phone line to identify where the calls originate from.

Another alternative is to change the telephone number and have the new number unlisted, if desired. A change in telephone number due to malicious calls is often without charge to the customer.

A technique that has been known to be successful in discouraging an unwanted caller is to blow a police whistle into the telephone.

Some telephone systems now have caller ID systems that automatically identify where the incoming telephone call is originating from. This may be an effective way to deal with the problem.

Messages Left on Answering Machines

If an annoying malicious message is left on an answering machine, do not erase the tape or delete the message. It may be useful to the possible criminal investigation of the incident.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

What To Do If You Are Stopped By A Police Officer

Police officers must continually engage citizens during the course of their duties. Law enforcement officers are trained how to do so safely, efficiently and effectively. A problem can occur, however, when citizens do knot know how to react and respond when approached or engaged by a police officer. This lack of knowledge can result in fear, nervousness, anger or even aggressive behavior on the part of the citizen.

Until recently, little effort was made to tell citizens what to do when stopped or engaged by a police officer. It was seldom a topic broached in schools or in the media. As a result, citizen’s response in such situations was often predicated upon what they had seen on television or the movies. Their response might also be based upon word-of-mouth rumors from friends, family members, or associates.

In recent years, a number of law enforcement agencies have developed guidelines or recommendations about “What do if you are stopped by a police officer.” The goal of these guidelines is to educate the public related to their rights and responsibilities when engaged by a law enforcement officer and to reduce the probability of conflict between police officer and citizens.

What To Do If You Are Stopped By A Police Officer

Why Would a Police Officer Want to Question Me?

When law enforcement representatives questions a person, there are underlying reasons. They may be checking out a complaint phoned into police by someone in the neighborhood. They may be checking out a complaint phoned into police by someone in the neighborhood. They may have received a report of some criminal activity, which has just occurred in the area. Your presence might indicate that you are a potential witness who would be able to provide valuable information in an investigation. In some cases the officers’ observations might lead them to think you are having trouble and need assistance.

The best way for them to clarify the situation is to ask questions. With all due respect to citizens’ rights, officers have a responsibility to properly investigate matters, which may threaten public safety or involve breaking the law. Their questions are not necessarily an accusation, and your cooperative response can alleviate potential conflict.

What to Do if a Police Officer Stops Me on the Street

Sometimes problems arise when it seems as if a police officer has stopped to question you for what appears to be no reason at all. Since the time factor may be crucial in investigating a possible crime, suspicion that you may in some way be involved in an incident.

Police may have a minimal description of a suspect, which you might resemble. You might be in an area where a crime has just been committed. Your actions appear to be suspicious (i.e. running from an area where an area where a crime has just been committed) and you act even more suspiciously when you see the police officer. Someone may have pointed you out as a suspect.

Your forthright responses, if an officer does stop and question you, will usually quickly resolve the situation. If the officer hasn’t told you why you have been stopped, you may inquire.

If despite these considerations, you feel that you do not want to respond, the officer must respect you right not to answer. However, your cooperation could be most helpful in aiding a police investigation.

What Should You Do If a Police Officer Stops You in Your Motor Vehicle

A traffic stop is one of the most frequent encounters between citizens and police. Usually, police officers will pull a vehicle over if they have reason to believe that some offense has occurred. You may feel anxious, irritated at the delay, or concerned about a possible citation. However, officers are also concerned about possible threats to their personal safety while performing their duties.

The following recommended procedures will ensure that the traffic stop can be completed quickly and safely:

• When signaled by an officer, safely pull over to a place out of traffic flow. • Sit calmly, with your hands visible on the steering wheel. If you have passengers, ask them to sit quietly with their hands visible. (Avoid sudden movements or ducking in the seat; these actions can unnecessarily alarm the officer). • If it is night, turn on your inside light when you pull the car over. For safety reasons, the officer will want to visually scan the car’s interior before proceeding. • Do not get out of your car unless the officer asks you to step out. If you are asked to so, comply in a calm manner. • A sure way to put an officer at ease is to communicate your actions in advance by telling the officer what you will be doing before you move. Also, you can ask to see the officer’s identification. • If requested, you must give the officer your driver’s licenses and vehicle registration. Tell the officer where it is before reaching for it---especially if it is tucked away in the glove box or some other unusual place.

If you are issued a citation, you will be asked to sign it. Signing is not an admission of guilt, but an acknowledgement that you have received the citation. While you may wish to clarify the circumstances of the citation, keep in mind that your guilt or innocence can only be determined in court. Arguments over or protests about the situation can not be resolved in the street.

What to Do If a Police Officer Comes to Your Door

Usually if a police officer knocks on your door, it is for one of the following reasons:

• To interview you or a member of your household as a witness to an incident that is being investigated • To make a notification • To serve an arrest warrant • To serve a search and seizure warrant

Whenever police come to your door, they should willingly provide identification and state their purpose for being there.

However, when serving a warrant, officers may dispense with the knock and announce requirement if they believe some emergency circumstances exist which necessitate a speedy or unannounced entry. Examples of such circumstances include, but are not limited to, protection of life or the possibility that evidence might be destroyed.

If the officers have a warrant, you may ask to see a copy of it. Although, if it is an arrest warrant, it is not necessary for the warrant to be in the officers’ possession for them to make an arrest. You must comply with the warrant and admit the officers into your house.

An arrest warrant commands a police officer to arrest the person named in the warrant. It also authorizes the officer to search the residence of the named individual in order to locate the person to carry out the arrest. An arrest warrant does not permit the entry and search of a third party’s residence for the named person without a search and seizure warrant. A search and seizure warrant is a document supported by an affidavit and signed by a judge, commanding a police officer to search specifically named premises for the property or person described in the warrant. The officer will provide the resident with a copy of the list of the property seized will be provided.

An officer may execute a search and seizure warrant at any time of day. The owner/occupant does not have to be present. When this occurs, a copy of the warrant and inventory will be left at the residence in a conspicuous location.

Police officers may conduct a search without a warrant in certain situations. Two main examples of when this might occur would be in situations involving the emergency circumstances noted above or searches done with the consent of a person that have authority over the property. If you consent to a search, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time during the search. Just clearly tell the officers that you wish the search to stop.

When You Are Stopped by a Police Officer, Generally They Will….

• Provide their name upon request • If in plain clothes, identify themselves when taking action • Inform a person about the reason for being stopped or questioned • Only use the amount of force necessary to affect the arrest of a suspect. The department does not tolerate excessive force.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Cyberstalking

Although there is no universally accepted definition of cyberstalking, the term can be used to refer to the use of the Internet, email, or other electronic communications devices to stalk another person.

Stalking generally involves harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as following a person, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing telephone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person’s property.

Most stalking laws require that the perpetrator make a credible threat of violence against the victim; other’s include threats against the victim’s immediate family and still others require only that the alleged stalker’s course of conduct constitute an implied threat.

Cyberstalking Facts

• Cyberstalkers feel they are anonymous and can get away with anything • When caught, most cyberstalkers say they didn’t mean to do it, or for it to go so far • Most instances are not related to romances gone sour; a majority of the cases are stranger-to-stranger • Over 20,000 cases of cyber stalking are being reported each year • Over 90% of victims are women • It is estimated there may be as many as 500,000 online victims each year

Examples of Cyberstalking

• Threatening or harassing email • “Flaming” – online verbal abuse • Mass unsolicited email • Identity Theft • Leaving improper messages at guestbooks or newsgroups from the victim • Initiating directed computer viruses • Email forgery – sending false or damaging email from the victim – usually to people they know like co-workers, employees, neighbors, etc.

Cyberstalking is expected to increase as computers and the Internet become more popular. By 2003, it is estimated there will be 500 million people online.

In 1991, California became the first state to pass an anti-stalking statute. Since then, 35 of 50 state have passed similar statutes.

States With Cyberstalking Laws www.haltabuse.org/laws.htm

Why Do Cyberstalkers Stalk?

• Sexual Harassment – By far, the most common type of harassment and stalking online is sexual harassment. Online sexual harassment affords a degree of anonymity. The online harasser has no fear of physical retaliation (slap in the face) and does not have to leave the comfort of his home to find, pursue and harass targets. • Love Obsession – Love obsession stalkers often believe that the target of their desires is really in love with them, which means they can not understand the work “NO.” A love obsession can start from an online romance, where one person then halts the romance, and the rejected lover can not accept the end of the relationship. (In this case, detailed personal information is often shared between the persons involved). • Hate/Revenge Vendettas – Hate vendettas many have nothing to do with sexual harassment at all. There are more male targets in this category. Hate vendettas many begin with an argument or disagreement that escalates out of control. A vendetta may also be waged against someone because of their beliefs. • Power Trips/Ego Trips – The victim is usually selected as a random target by someone they do not know. The motivation of the harassers is to show off their skills to themselves and their friends. They do not have a personal grudge against the victim – they are using the victim to demonstrate their power among their own group.

Comparing Offline (“in real life”) and Online Stalking

Similarities

The majority of cases involve stalking by former intimates, although stranger stalking occurs in the real world and in cyberspace Most victims are women; most stalkers are men Stalkers are generally motivated by the desire to control the victim

Differences

Offline stalking generally requires the perpetrator and the victim to be located in the same geographical area; cyberstalkers can be located anywhere. Electronic communication technologies make it much easier for a cyberstalker to encourage third parties to harass and/or threaten a victim (impersonating the victim and posting messages to the bulletin boards and in chat rooms, causing viewers of that message to send threatening messages back to the victim). Electronic communications technologies also lowers the barriers to harassment and threats; a cyberstalker does not need to physically confront the victim.

Prevention Tips

Do not share personal information (real name, address, phone number, school information, marital status, occupation, income or passwords) in public spaces anywhere online, nor give it to strangers, including in email or chat rooms. Do not use your real name or nickname as your screen mane or user ID. Pick a name that is gender-and-age neutral. And do not post personal information as part of any user profiles. Some filtering software programs can prevent children from posting or emailing an address, telephone number, or credit card number. Be extremely cautious about meeting online acquaintances in person. If you choose to meet, do so in a public place and take along a friend. Make sure you ISP and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network have an acceptable use policy that prohibits cyberstalking. If you network fails to respond to your complaints, consider switching to a provider that is more responsive to user complaints. If a situation online becomes hostile, log off or surf elsewhere. If a situation places you in fear, contact a local law enforcement agency.

What To Do If You Are Being Cyberstalked

If you are receiving unwanted contact, make clear to that person that you would like him or her not to contact you again.

• Save all communications for evidence. Do not edit or alter them in any way. Also, keep a record of your contacts with Internet system administrators or law enforcement officials. • You many want to consider blocking or filtering messages from the harasser. Many email programs such as Eudora and Microsoft Outlook have a filter feature, and software can be easily obtained that will automatically delete emails from a particular email address or contain offensive words. Chat room contact can be blocked as well. • If harassment continues after you have asked the person to stop, contact the harasser’s Internet Service Provider (ISP). Most ISP’s have clear policies prohibiting the use of their services to abuse another person. Often, an ISP can try to stop the conduct by direct contact with the stalker or by closing their account. If you receive abusive emails, identify the domain (after the “@” sign) and contact the ISP. Most ISP’s have an email address such as abuse @ (domain name) or postmaster @ (domain name) that can be used for complaints. Visit the ISP web site for information on how to file a complaint. • Contact your local police department and inform them of the situation is as much detail as possible. In appropriate cases, they may refer the matter to state or federal authorities.

Cyberstalking Resources Online

CyberAngels:

Non-profit group devoted to assisting victims of online harassment and threats, including cyberstalking www.cyberangels.org

1999 Report on Cyberstalking: A New Challenge for Law Enforcement and Industry

A comprehensive 24-page Department of Justice Publication www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/cyberstalking.htm

WHOA (Women Halting Online Abuse):

Founded by women to educate the Internet community about online harassment. www.haltabuse.org Get Net Wise:

Online resource for families and caregivers to help children use the Internet in a safe and educational manner. www.getnetwise.org

Safety Ed:

An excellent web site with an extensive amount of cyberstalking information. www.saftyed.org

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Prevention of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assaults

A notable increase has occurred in recent years in the frequency of drug-facilitated sexual assaults. The victims of these sexual assaults (most frequently women) are often older adolescents and young adults at bars, nightclubs, rave clubs and social parties.

The Use of Alcohol

It is important to bear in mind that the use of recreational drugs to facilitate rape and sexual assault is not new phenomenon. Having been used almost as long as recorded history, alcohol remains the most widely used date rape drug.

“Date Rape” or “Predatory” Drugs

The use of “date rape” or “predatory” drugs has become increasingly prevalent. As these drugs have become more sophisticated in their effectiveness, they have been used more frequently to facilitate rape. They are increasingly used as “knock-out drugs” to render the female victims helpless and amnesic.

The typical tactic for committing drug-facilitated sexual assaults is to ship the drug unknowingly into the drink of a female. The victim usually loses consciousness in a short period of time, and often has no memory of the event.

Rohypnol

Rohypnol is Hoffman-LaRoche’s registered trade name for Flunitrazepam, a benzodiazepine drug in the same family of medications as Valium and Xanax. It is manufactured in Switzerland and is legal in 64 countries as a prescription drug for sleep disorders and psychiatric cases. It is 10 times more potent than Valium.

Rohypnol has never been approved for any medical use in the United States. It is illegal to manufacture, distribute, or possess Rohypnol is a controlled substance in Schedule IV of the Federal Controlled Substances Act. Under federal law, simple possession of Rohypnol to another person without the person’s knowledge and with intent to commit a crime of violence is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine. Possession and misuse of Rohypnol is also a violation of state criminal statutes in many states.

Rohypnol is similar in size, shape and color to aspirin. The pill is a small white tablet that is single or cross-scored on one side and has the word “Roche” and a circled number 1 or 2 on the other side. They are sold in pre-sealed, foil-wrapped “bubble packs” of one or two mg. doses.

Rohypnol dissolves easily in juice, coffee, and carbonated and alcoholic beverages. It was traditionally colorless, odorless, and tasteless when dissolved in a liquid. The manufacturer, however, has reformulated it so that it imparts an easily identifiable blue color to clear beverages and haziness to colored beverages.

Rohypnol is a potent sedative. It usually takes effect within 20 minutes after ingestion, and the effects may last for up to 8-10 hours. Rohypnol may cause dizziness, disorientation, uninhibited behavior, impaired judgement, and reduced levels of consciousness. The victim may act and look like someone who is drunk. Their speech may be slurred and they may have difficulty walking, or they may be rendered unconscious.

It is dangerous to mix Rohypnol with alcohol or other drugs. The combination can produce extremely low blood pressure, respiratory depression, difficulty breathing, coma or even death.

Rohypnol may also produce complete or partial amnesia about the events that occur after it is ingested.

Rohypnol is a low cost drug, often sold at less than $5.00 per tablet.

Among the street names for Rohypnol are Roofies, Rophies, Roaches, Forget Pill, Poor Man’s Quaalude, Lunch Money (referring to the drug’s low cost on the street), Pappas or Potatoes (referring to the mental capacity of someone under the influence of the drug), Whiteys, Dulcitas, Negatives, or Minuses (referring to the markings on a 1 mg. tablet), R-2s, Roach-2s, Circles, Rope, Rib, Trip-and-Fall, Mind-Erasers, Mexican Valium.

GHB

GHB is gamma-hydroxybutziate. It was originally used as an anesthetic on humans in Europe in the 1950’s. It has never been approved for use in the United States.

Most of the GHB being used today is manufactured illegally by “kitchen chemists” by mixing various chemical ingredients, including solvents and caustic soda. Because there are significant differences in the purity, concentration and potency of various batches, homebrewed GHB can be especially dangerous. There can be a very narrow margin between the dose that will produce intoxication effects and the amount that will induce serious life-threatening effects. Manufacturing instructions for making GHB can be easily obtained over the Internet.

GHB comes in a lumpy white powder form or as a clear liquid. It can be snorted, smoked, or mixed in drinks. When dissolved in a drink, it is colorless and odorless. It may have a slight, salty aftertaste, however.

GHB is frequently distributed at clubs, bars, raves, and other parties. It is usually doled out by capfuls, teaspoons, or “swigs.” It may be sold or passed around in containers of varying sizes, including sports bottles, designer water bottles, eye dropper bottles, baby food jars, and plastic water jugs.

The effects of GHB may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, seizures, respiratory depression, intense drowsiness, unconsciousness, and coma. It acts as a depressant on the central nervous system. The effects of the drug start with giddiness but lead to a deep sleep accompanied by amnesia.

Among the street names for GHB are Grievous Bodily Harm, Liquid X, Liquid E, Liquid Ecstasy, Easy Lay, G, Vita-G, G-juice, Georgia Home Boy, Great Hormones, Somatomax, Bedtime Scoop, Soap, Gook, Gamma 10, and Energy Drink.

GHB usually costs $5.00-$10.00 per dose. Federal legislation enacted in February 2000, places GHB on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the most strictly regulated drugs. Anyone who possess, manufactures, or distributes GHB can be imprisoned up to 20 years.

Recommendations for Women

• Limit alcoholic drinks to a maximum of one or two per hour. • Do not gulp alcoholic beverages. • Be wary of opened alcoholic beverages offered by strangers or male acquaintances. • Let your date be the first to drink from the punchbowl at a bar, club, or rave. • Avoid group drinking and particularly avoid participating in drinking games. • Check with local police departments; they are usually a good source of information about the location of bars, clubs, and areas where drug-facilitated sexual assault is known to have occurred. • When at an unfamiliar bar, directly observe your drink being poured by the bartender. • If your opened beverage tastes, looks or smells strange, do not drink it. • After returning to your table after dancing, using the restroom or making a telephone call, obtain a fresh drink. • If you feel giddy or lightheaded at a bar, club, or party, get assistance. • If you arrive with friends, a prearranged plan should be in place to check on each other visually and verbally before separately departing a bar, club, or party. • If one of your friends appears to be intoxicated, get help (consider calling 911).

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Teen Dating Violence

Teen Dating Violence is what happens in a teen dating relationship when one person uses abuse to gain power and keep control over their partner. This abuse can be physical, emotional or sexual.

Teen Dating Statistics (Bureau of Justice Special Report: Intimate Partner Violence, May 2000)

• About one in three high school students have been or will be involved in an abusive relationship. • Forty percent of teenage girls ages 14 to 17 say they know someone their age that has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend. • In one study, from 30-50 percent of female high school students reported having experienced teen dating violence. • Teen dating violence most often takes place in the home of one of the partners. • In 1995, 7 percent of all murder victims were young women who were killed by their boyfriends. • One in five or 20 percent of dating couples report some type of violence in their relationship. • One in five college females will experience some form of dating violence. • A survey of 500 young women, ages 15 to 24, found that 60 percent were currently involved in an ongoing abusive relationship and all participants had experienced violence in a dating relationship. • One study found that 38 percent of date rape victims were young women from 14 to 17 years of age. • A survey of adolescent and college students revealed that date rape accounted for 67 percent of sexual assaults. • More than half-young women raped (68 percent) knew their rapist either as a boyfriend, friend or casual acquaintance. • Six out of 10 rapes of young women occur in their own home or a friend or relative’s home, not in a dark alley. • More than 4 in every 10 incidents of domestic violence involves non-married persons.

Abusive teen dating relationships, similar to adult domestic violence, generally exhibit a pattern, the major elements of which are:

• Violence that affects people from all socio-economic, racial, and ethnic groups; • Repeated violence that escalates; • Violence that increases in severity the longer the relationship continues; • Violence and abusive behaviors are interchanged with apologies and promises to change; • Increased danger for the victim is when they are trying to terminate the relationship; • Occurrence in heterosexual and gay and lesbian relationships.

Characteristics of Teen Abusers:

• Is jealous and possessive, won’t let you have friends, checks up on you, won’t accept breaking up? • Tries to control you by being bossy, giving orders, making all the decisions, not taking your opinions seriously? • Puts you down in front of friends, tells you that you would be nothing without him or her? • Scares you? Makes you worry about reactions to things you say or do? Threatens you? Uses or owns weapons? • Is violent? Has a history of fighting, loses temper quickly, brags about mistreating others? Grabs, pushes, shoves, or hits you? • Pressures you for sex or is forceful or scary about sex? Gets too serious about the relationship too fast? • Abuses alcohol or other drugs and pressures you to take them? • Has a history of failed relationships? And blames the other person for all the problems? • Makes your family and friends uneasy and concerned for your safety?

What Victims of Teen Abuse Should Do:

• Stay in touch with your friends and stay involved in activities that you enjoy. • Consider telling your parents or other family members about what is happening. They can help you screen telephone calls or visitors. • Try not to be alone. Let your friends know what is happening and have them walk to classes and spend time during lunch with you. • Tell teachers, counselors, coaches, or security guards about what is happening. Have them help you be safe. • Change your routine. Don’t always come to school the same way, or arrive at the same time. Always have someone with you. • Always keep extra change with you so you can make phone calls. • Make a list of phone numbers, including 911, crisis lines, and supportive friends whom you can call when you are upset. • Try not to be alone with you dating partner. Don’t go by yourself to an isolated or deserted location. • Before leaving home to go somewhere, let other people know what your plans are and where you’ll be and when. • Trust your instincts. If you feel you are in danger, get help immediately. • Break up with your partner in a public place. Let other people know that you plan to break up with your partner and let them know where you will be and when.

ABC’s of Teen Dating Violence (The Office of Circuit Court of Cook County, IL)

Anyone can be a victim of dating violence. Teens who are wealthy or not, religious or not, straight or not. It makes no difference what race or ethnic background a person is. Anyone can be a victim. Anyone can be an abuser.

Be safe. Be a survivor, not a victim. Understand the three types of abuse.

Control. Abuse is about control, not love. Learn the difference. Be safe. Dating violence is consistent pattern of verbal (or emotional) abuse, physical abuse, or sexual abuse.

Emotional abuse can be more serious than physical abuse. Does your partner call you names? Humiliate you? Isolate you from your friends? Make all the decisions? Threaten you? Make you afraid?

Family and friends can help you. Don’t keep any abuse secret. The more people who know, the safer you are.

Get help. Call a domestic violence program. You are not alone.

Help your friends who may be victims. They need you as a friend now more than ever.

Intervention and prevention begin with you. Do not accept any abuse from anyone or to anyone.

Judges know the problems of dating violence. If you have to get an order of protection to be safe---do it.

Kicking, hitting, and punching are types of physical abuse. Once is too many.

Love should be special. It is never controlling. It is never about one person telling the other person what to think, do, or how to act.

Murder is the ultimate horror of dating violence. It is the cause of 24% of teen homicides.

No one likes being hit. Victims are afraid to leave abusers because they are afraid of being hit harder. Leave. Be a survivor.

Orders of protection tell the abuser what they can and can not do. Call the Clerk’s Office for more information.

Physical abuse does not always leave bruises, but it always leaves scars.

Qualified counselors are available to help teen dating violence victims 24 hours a day. Call now for support.

Read and remember everything you can about dating violence. It could be a real lifesaver.

Sexual abuse can be anything from ruining your reputation, to touching you improperly, to rape.

Tell. The abuser wants you to think that no one will believe you. The abuser wants you to think that no one else cares about you. The abuser is wrong. People believe. People care. Abuse should not be a secret. Tell.

Understand that you are not alone: friends, family, teachers, the police, judges, are all there to help.

Victory is in becoming a survivor. You do not have to be a victim. Only you can begin to make that change. Winning the battle against teen dating violence is everyone’s job. Listen to your friends. Share this brochure with anyone who may need it. You can make a difference.

X-rays don’t show all the hurt. Teen dating violence hurts everyone. Help stop the hurt.

Yearly, about 40% of all teens are dating violence victims. Don’t be a statistic.

Zero tolerance is the only acceptable level of teen dating violence.

Dating Bill of Rights

I have the right to:

• Ask for a date • Refuse a date • Suggest activities • Refuse any activities, even if my date is excited about them • Say, “I think my partner’s information is wrong or her/his actions are unfair or inappropriate” • Tell someone not to interrupt me • Have my limits and values respected • To be heard • To refuse to lend money • Tell my partner when I need affection • Refuse affection • Refuse sex anytime for any reason- or no reason at all • Have friends and space aside from my partner

I have the responsibility to:

• Determine my limits and values • Respect the limits and values of others • Communicate clearly and honestly • Not violate the limits of others • Ask for help when I need it • Be considerate • Check my action/decisions to determine if they are good for me or bad for me • Set high goals for myself

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Ecstasy and Club Drugs

The term “club drug” refers to drugs being used by youth and young adults at all- night dance parties such as “raves” or “trances,” dance clubs or bars. MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine, Methamphetamine, and LSD are among the drugs referred to as “club drugs.”

“Raves” are a form of dance and recreation that is held in a clandestine location with fast-paced, high-volume music, a variety of high-tech entertainment and usually the use of “club drug.”

Ecstasy

Ecstasy or MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a stimulant that combines the properties of methamphetamine or “speed” with mind-altering or hallucinogenic properties. It is considered to be the most commonly used club (or “designer” drug. Ecstasy is an illegal drug (it was declared illegal by the federal government in 1985) 90% of which is manufactured in the Netherlands and Belgium.

In its most common form, Ecstasy is a small tablet that impressed with any one of a number of logos intended to attract young people. It can also be in a capsule or powder form and can injected.

Among the street names for Ecstasy are Adam, X-TC, Clarity, Essence, Stacy, Lover’s Speed, Eve, etc.

The Ecstasy high can last from 6 to 24 hours, with the average “trip” lasting only about 3-4 hours.

Users of Ecstasy report that it causes mood changed and loosens their inhibitions; they become more outgoing, empathetic and affectionate. For this reason, Ecstasy has been called the “hug drug.” It also suppresses the need to eat, drink or sleep, enabling users to endure parties that can last for two or three days. As a result, Ecstasy users frequently suffer effects such as dehydration or exhaustion.

Ecstasy tablets cost $.20-$.40 to produce and are sold in America for $30-$40 apiece.

Ecstasy users are generally easy to identify. One of the effects of the drug is jaw muscle tension and teeth grinding. Users suck on pacifiers or lollipops to relieve the tension. They also use light sticks, or “glow” sticks to heighten the psychedelic experience at rave parties.

Many teens perceive Ecstasy as low risk. The drug can, however, lead to depression, fatigue, dehydration and long-term kidney, liver and brain damage. Scientists have only recently begun to document the long-term effects of Ecstasy use.

Ecstasy – Crime Prevention Initiatives

There are a number of crime prevention initiatives law enforcement can use to address the problem of Ecstasy use.

• The access to the drug can be reduced by targeting both the owner of buildings where raves are staged or the promoter (who is seldom the owner of the building). • Education of youth through such programs as DARE or School Resource Officers. • Parents can be educated about the drug and its use and, particularly, warning signs of Ecstasy use. • The media can be encouraged to provide information about Ecstasy and its use. • Information about Ecstasy can be placed in law enforcement agencies’ Internet web sites.

GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate)

Slang or street name; Grievous Bodily Harm, G, Liquid Ecstasy, Georgia Home Boy

GHB can be produced in clear liquid, white powder, tablet, and capsule forms, and it is often used in combination with alcohol, making it even more dangerous. GHB has been increasingly involved in poisonings, overdoses, “date” rapes, and fatalities. The drug is used predominately by adolescents and young adults, often when they attend nightclubs and raves. GHB is often manufactured in homes with recipes and ingredients found and purchased on the Internet.

• GHB is usually abused either for its intoxicating/sedative/euphoria properties or for its growth hormone-releasing effects, which can build muscles. • Some individuals are synthesizing GHB in home laboratories. • GHB is a central nervous system depressant that can relax or sedate the body. At higher doses it can slow breathing and heart rate to dangerous levels. • GHB’s intoxicating effects begin 10-20 minutes after the drug is taken; the effects typically last up to 4 hours, depending on the dosage. At lower doses, GHB can relieve anxiety and produce relaxation; however, as the dose increases, the sedative effects may result in sleep and eventually coma or death. • Overdose of GHB can occur rather quickly, and the signs are similar to those of other sedatives: drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, headache, loss of consciousness, loss of reflexes, impaired breathing, and ultimately death. • GHB is cleared from the body relatively quickly, so it is sometimes difficult to detect in emergency rooms and other treatment facilities.

Rohypnol

Slang or street names: Roofies, Rophies, Roche, and Forget-me Pill

Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam) is not approved for prescription use in the United States, although it is approved in Europe and is used in more than 60 countries as a treatment for insomnia, as a sedative, and as a pre-surgery anesthetic.

• Rohypnol is tasteless and odorless, and it dissolves easily in carbonated beverages. The sedative and toxic effects of Rohypnol are aggravated concurrent use of alcohol. Even without alcohol, a dose of Rohypnol as small as 1 mg can impair a victim for 8 to 12 hours. • Rohypnol is usually taken orally, although there are reports that it can be ground up and snorted. • Rohypnol is “the forget-me pill” and it has been reportedly used in sexual assaults. • Other adverse effects associated with Rohypnol include decreased blood pressure, drowsiness, visual disturbances, dizziness, confusion, gastrointestinal disturbances, and urinary retention.

Ketamine

Slang or street names: Special k, K, Vitamin K, Cat Valiums

Ketamine is an injectable anesthetic that has been approved for both humans and animal use in medical settings since 1970. About 90 percent of the ketamine legally sold today is intended for veterinary use.

• Ketamine gained popularity for abuse in the 1980s, when it was realized that large doses cause reactions similar to those associated with use of phencyclidine (PCP), such as dream-like states and hallucinations. • Ketamine is produced in liquid form or as a white powder that is often snorted or smoked with marijuana or tobacco products. • At higher doses, ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, and potentially fatal respiratory problems. • Low-dose intoxication from ketamine results in impaired attention, learning ability, and memory.

Methamphetamine

Slang or street names: Speed, Ice, Chalk, Meth, Crystal, Crank, Fire, Glass

Methamphetamine is a toxic, addictive stimulant that affects many areas of the central nervous system. The drug is often made in clandestine laboratories from relatively inexpensive over-the-counter ingredients. Diverse groups, including young adults who attend raves, in many regions of the country, are using it.

Available in many forms, methamphetamine can be smoked, snorted, injected or orally ingested.

• Methamphetamine is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in beverages. • Methamphetamine is not sold in the same way as many other illicit drugs, it is typically sold through networks not on the street. • Methamphetamine use is associated with serious health consequences, including memory loss, aggression, violence, psychotic behavior, and potential cardiac and neurological damage. • Methamphetamine abusers typically display signs of agitation, excited speech, decreased appetite, and increased physical activity levels.

LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)

Slang or street names: Acid, Boomers, and Yellow Sunshines

LSD is a hallucinogen. It induces abnormalities in sensory perceptions. The effects of LSD are unpredictable depending on the amount taken, on the surrounding in which the drug is used and on the user’s personality, mood, and expectations.

• LSD is typically taken by mouth. It is sold in tablet, capsule, and liquid forms as well as in pieces of blotter paper that have absorbed the drug. • Typically LSD user feels the effects of the drug 30 to 90 minutes after taking it. The physical effects include dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors. • LSD users report numbness, weakness, or trembling and nausea is common. • There are two long-term disorders associated with LSD, persistent psychosis and hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (which used to be called “flashbacks”).

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Preventing Theft of Mail

The theft of mail from residential mailboxes and collection boxes is an increasing problem. It is a means employed by fraudulent con artist to steal checks and other items of value. This problem can be reduced or minimized if members of the community will adopt the following measures or practices.

Preventing Theft of Mail

• Do not leave outgoing mail in your unlocked mailbox • Do deposit mail in a blue collection box or inside at your local post office. Use a collection box that is not full • Make sure your mailbox is in good condition. Mailboxes in poor condition often expose mail to theft and bad weather. Your local postmaster can advise you on current postal regulations and steps you can take to improve the condition of your mailbox • Promptly pickup you “incoming” mail once it is delivered to your mailbox • Get together with neighbors and the Postal Service and arrange for the installation of locked group mailboxes for neighborhood delivery. These group mailboxes are known as Neighborhood Delivery & Collection Box Units (NDCBU). • Purchase a locked mailbox or convert your unlocked box to the lockable type. (Look in the telephone directory yellow pages under “Mailboxes-Retain”). On your locked box, make sure the mail slot is large enough and safe enough for the letter carrier to insert your mail. (Note the mail carrier can not pick up mail from this type of unit). • Arrange for your mail to be delivered to a Post Office Box for a small fee. • Consider having regular income checks deposited electronically right into your bank account via Direct Deposit. It’s easy, and in most cases, it’s free! Contact your bank for details.

• In case your mail is stolen (from your mailbox, from a blue collection box, from a postal vehicle or from your letter carrier), to avoid fraudulent use of your checking account – when writing checks to pay your bills:

Write out in full the “payee” and “memo” portions. Fill up entire lines with letters or squiggly line.

Use thick, dark; red ink is best (not felt pen) to write your checks. Roller- ball pens are best.

Purchase checks through institutions that us tamper-resistant paper and ink.

Never send cash or coins through the mail. Always send a check or money order. • Promptly report non-receipt of credit cards, checks, and other valuable mail to the senders.

• Immediately notify the post office and mailers if you change your address. If you are going on vacation, notify the post office, or have a trusted friend or neighbor pick up your mail promptly after delivery.

• Join a Neighborhood Watch Program. Remember, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

• Be observant of activities on your street, including those near your letter carrier, his or her postal vehicle, residential mailboxes, and collection boxes.

• Immediately report any suspicious persons or activity by calling 9-1-1 while suspects are still present.

Remember, do not jeopardize your safety, but BE A GOOD WITNESS!

The Postal Service pays rewards up to $10,000 for information and services leading ot the arrest and conviction of mail thieves. Report suspect or crime information to Postal Inspectors, 24-hours a day, at 818-405-1200.

Major Postal Offenses

• Theft of mail or possession of stolen mail: The illegal taking of mail from postal custody or from the mail receptacle of a postal customer, by a non-postal person, or the receipt or possession of mail known to have been stolen. • Theft of mail from Postal Service mailboxes: The street corner (blue) collection boxes and (dark-green) relay boxes (used by the Postal Service to temporarily store mail) are often the targets of crime. Relay boxes sometimes contain large quantities of mail in gray sacks, which the thieves cart off. They are primarily looking for checks and credit cards. Counterfeit or stolen keys are frequently used to gain entry. • Theft of mail from rural mailboxes: A popular target of thieves, these mailboxes are not always visible to the homeowners and are often clustered together by the side of the road. Often, thieves steal outgoing mail left by residents in their boxes for pickup by postal letter carriers. Such mail sometimes contains checks used to pay households bills, and these checks contain bank account and other personal information, which can be misused in various ways, including check forgery scams. Sometimes, the thieves discard mail they open but do not want by the side of the road. • Theft of mail from apartment mailboxes: Here, many mailboxes are grouped together. Anyone found going through more than one box should be considered suspect. • Possession of stolen mail: Possession of mail addressed to others may have been stolen. Be alert for significant quantities of such mail, especially mail with checks payable to others and credit cards in the names of others. • Fraudulent credit card applications: Con artists sometimes apply through the mail for credit cards in the names of unsuspecting victims or using fictitious names. Be alert for applications in a number of different names.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual

Safe Shopping Crime Prevention Tips

Criminals look for easiest opportunity when deciding to commit a crime. Shoppers, particularly women, can be vulnerable to such crimes as theft, robbery, and assault. The following crime prevention tips or recommendations are designed to make shopping as safe of an experience as possible.

• Be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. Knowing who and what is around you can help you avoid being surprised. It also allows you time to react if something does appear suspicious. • Display confidence. Criminals choose the victim who looks like the easiest target. That choice is partially based on their perception about your abilities to react to an attack. If you walk with purpose, scan the area around you, and make casual eye contact with others, you are displaying confidence. • Trust your instincts. Your body will tell you when someone or something is suspicious. If you have an intuitive feeling something is wrong, do not second- guess yourself. React immediately and take action to reduce your risk. • Carry only what you need. Extra cash, credit cards, checks, jewelry and other items should be left at home. If it is necessary to carry a purse, keep it in front and close to your body. Men should keep wallets out of back pockets where they are easily stolen. Carry wallets in front coat pockets or use a money clip as an alternative. • Don’t be overburdened with packages. Carrying several shopping bags makes you look vulnerable. Request a store to hold your merchandise until you are finished with your shopping. If the store does not offer that service, place your purchases in the trunk of your car before you buy additional items. • Shop with others. The chance of being victimized drops dramatically when you are with a companion. If there are three or more people together, the chance of being targeted for crime is 90% less than when alone. • Ask for an escort. Many retailers have security personnel. Ask for an escort to your vehicle if you are uneasy about venturing into the parking lot alone. • Be prepared. Have your keys in hand when walking to your vehicle. The keys can be used as a defensive weapon and you will not waste time trying to find them when standing outside your vehicle. Carry a whistle or personal alarm. These devices will alert those around you something is wrong. • Plan ahead. Choose areas to park where lighting is good and activity is high. Valuables in your vehicle should be kept out of view. Be sure to lock the car at all times. Most auto burglaries occur on cars that are left unlocked.

* The Law Enforcement Officer’s Complete Crime Prevention Manual