Tips for Avoiding a Home Security Scam

Posted on August 2, 2012 by dstaples

This past June police in Spartanburg, SC were warning their community about a home security scam that had victimized a couple of hundred homeowners. The scam involved a rogue home security company that canvassed Spartanburg neighborhoods looking for alarm company placards. Where they were found, a group of individuals would descend upon a house and pull off the scam.

Avoiding a Home Security Scams

The group’s leader would knock on the door and explain he and his group was sent by the homeowner’s legitimate security company to upgrade equipment. After getting the homeowner to sign a couple of documents the crew would enter the home and quickly swap out old equipment for new.

As it turns out, unsuspecting homeowners were duped into signing a contract that allowed this rogue company to transfer service to them. The contract also allowed them to replace equipment as part of the new service, even if that equipment was inferior. Spartanburg police say the scam is no longer operating in their community; they suspect the group has moved on to another town or a different state entirely.

You can avoid being the victim of these types of scams by utilizing the following tips:

Check Identification and Uniforms - Whenever someone knocks on your door always check for legitimate identification. Also take note of any uniform an individual is wearing to see if there’s anything odd about it. In the case of the home security scam, where there were several people working together, take a minute to note whether or not their uniforms match. Improper identification and non-matching uniforms are both red flags.

Call Your Alarm Company - Even if the people at your door appear to have legitimate identification and uniforms, that doesn’t mean they’re legit. Most alarm companies today will send e-mails or make phone calls to warn you that their representatives will be in your area. If you have not received such notification you have every right to be suspicious. Call your alarm company and inquire as to whether or not the people standing at your door are company representatives. If not, don’t sign a contract or let them in your house.

Read the Contract in Detail - Before you sign a contract make sure you read it thoroughly. Unfortunately, most homeowners simply assume things are on the up-and-up. That plays right into the hands of scammers who are depending on getting documents signed very quickly before a homeowner knows what’s going on. Any legitimate salesman will be more than happy to allow you to take 5 to 10 minutes to read your contract. One who resists is probably one you don’t want to do business with.

Don’t Give out Credit Card Information - One of the most profitable parts of these types of scams in the 21st century is stealing credit card and bank information from unsuspecting customers. Under no circumstances should you ever give out such information to a salesman standing at your door. Even if he is legitimately from your current alarm company, he has no need for such information. The company can bill you for upgraded equipment and services in the same way they bill you for your current monthly service.

It’s unfortunate that we live in a world where consumers can even be scanned by a home security company. Nonetheless, that’s the case. It behooves every homeowner to be wary if someone knocks on the door offering to install an alarm system. As long as you’re diligent and you use common sense, you’ll be able to spot a scam and deal with it effectively.

Why Safes Should Be Part Of Your Home Security Strategy

Posted on June 19, 2012 by dstaples

There are lots of great things you can do to protect yourself in case you’re ever the target of the burglar. One of them is to get a security system for your home and/or business. A security system provides enough of a deterrent for all but the most determined criminals; a deterrent because they don’t need the risk of getting caught when the alarm goes off. But if you have valuables that are extremely vulnerable you may be the victim of a more professional and determined burglar. These types of individuals may not necessarily be thwarted by alarm systems.

Be Safe with Safes

A good line of defense in such cases is to use a safe. A safe further hinders the burglar and makes his job that much more difficult. As an added benefit, most of your high-end safes are also fire and waterproof, making them good options for protecting valuable paperwork such as passports, birth certificates, securities, etc.

Freestanding Safe

The freestanding safe is probably the most popular because it is the least expensive and the easiest to use. They come in a variety of sizes and strengths, as well as different ratings for fire and water. If a stand-alone safe is all you can afford it is certainly better than nothing. If it’s heavy enough it is possible a burglar acting alone won’t even try to pick it up and carry it away. However, there’s always that risk because of the biggest downside to the freestanding safe: its portability.

If you have very expensive valuables, and the burglar who hits your home brings one or two pals with him, they could possibly steal your safe simply by slipping on a dolly and heading out the door. If they are of a mind to try and crack the safe open rather than steal it, freestanding models are easier to break into. The point is, a freestanding safe will probably be enough to thwart an amateur burglar working alone, but not a professional who knows what treasure lies inside.

Wall-Mounted Safe

The wall-mounted safe is the midrange model for individuals with a little more money to spend. It is fairly easy to install simply by choosing a location, cutting away some drywall, and attaching it directly to the studs with heavy-duty screws. Fortunately, stud placement has been standardized in US home construction so you shouldn’t have any problem finding one that fits perfectly into any wall in your house. When choosing where to install it, the trick is to hide it from plain view.

Forget putting the safe in the master bedroom behind a painting; forget putting in the den behind a bookshelf. You need to find the location where a thief is least likely to look. You can try putting it in the bathroom behind a double-hinged medicine cabinet, in the basement behind your water heater, or even in a back corner of the attic behind the Christmas decorations.

Floor Safe

The floor safe is far and away the most secure type of safe you can use. This is especially true if you have it installed in the concrete floor of the basement. It is nearly impossible to break into, definitely impossible to carry away, and the best protection against fire. The biggest downside to the floor safe is that it can be very expensive to install.

Now that you know a little bit more about safes, make sure to get the maximum protection from your home security system by supplementing with a safe for your valuables. It is one of the wisest home or business security decisions you can make.

Bactroban

Maxalt

American Home Security Facts

Posted on January 4, 2012 by dstaples

Most Americans take home security for granted, believing that our homes are sanctuaries and that we will always be safe there. Unfortunately, the statistics say otherwise. In fact, home burglaries are among the most common crimes carried out in this country. Home burglaries can take place at anytime of the day, whether someone is home or not. Therefore it is incumbent upon homeowners to do everything within their power to protect themselves from being victims.

It’s been suggested that if more Americans knew the facts about home security systems and crimes in general, they would be more willing to investigate purchasing one. To that end we’ve included some interesting facts below we hope will at least get you thinking. At the end of the day, if you’re concerned enough about the safety of your home and family you will take the necessary steps.

Not Worth the Cost

There is a myth among consumers who do not have a home security system that such a device is not worth the cost. There have been several survey-based studies over the last several years investigatingconsumer opinions in this area, on average, when asked whether or not the cost of home security was worth it compared to the benefits derived from it, only one in eight respondents answered in the affirmative. That means seven out of eight home owners are unlikely to spend the money on home security. Yet when you interview those who have and use their alarm systems, or have been the victim of a home invasion or burglary, the numbers are completely different.

Home Security Systems Are a Deterrent

Alarm companies routinely make known the fact that having yard signs and door details is a great way to deter criminals from even trying a burglary. Those claims are supported by a 2010 study which noted that homes not protected by alarm systems are almost 3 times more likely to be burglarized than those with alarm systems. The study even went so far as to look at homes where alarm systems were present but yard signs could not readily be seen because of snow or other conditions. The homes most often passed over had both an alarm system and a yard sign that could be easily seen.

Peace of Mind Is Priceless

Several studies done in the latter part of the previous decade looked at crime victims and their assessments after being victimized. These studies concluded that victims of home burglary who did not have alarm systems at the time the crime was committed regret not having one by a ratio of three-to-one. Many respondents said after the fact that they should have spent the money on alarm system rather than lose their peace of mind as the result of a burglary. Interestingly, the vast majority of these homeowners purchased alarm system as a result of becoming victims.

Apprehending Criminals

If your home is ever burglarized, there is little chance of the perpetrator being caught if he is not observed by someone. An experienced burglar knows how to get in and out quickly without leaving any evidence that can trace the crime back to him. However, an alarm system greatly increases the chance that a burger will be apprehended. Not only does the noise attract the attention of neighbors, but the alarm monitoring company can hear everything that goes on inside the home and can alert police as soon as the premises is entered.

Homeowners Insurance Reduction

One of the added advantages of having a home security system is that most insurance companies will offer a rate reduction on your homeowner’s policy. Statistically, since homes with alarm systems are at reduced risk of burglary, property damage, and loss of contents, insurance companies are willing to reward homeowners with lower premiums. This discount can range anywhere from 5% to 20%, depending on a number of factors, and how much of a discount you would get on your specific policy is determined by your provider.

Your home is the one place you and your family should always feel safe. In today’s world, providing a safe sanctuary requires that we take extra measures to protect ourselves. That’s why a home security system from a company like Pinnacle Security is a good idea.

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