From our friends at: http://www.simplisafe.com

Original Article: http://simplisafe.com/blog/does-your-neighbor-have-your-back

(Read the full article on there site – Here is the first part)

Think of your home’s first line of defense — what comes to mind? Your security system? Your barbed-wire fence? Your adorable but secretly vicious poodle? All of these will do in a pinch, but cast the net a little wider and you’ll find security starts up the street, around the corner, and everywhere in between. Statistics show that ⅔ of people feel safer in their homes because they know their neighbors, which makes sense when you learn about some of these hometown heroes. Read on to see how these neighbors have earned their stripes, and how you can, too.

Chris Saves Christmas

On December 24th, 2012, three young Colorado Springs burglars decided they wanted a new car for Christmas. Knowing that a lot of families would be gone for the holidays, they targeted an empty apartment, broke in through the back door, found the car keys, and got ready to ride off into the sunset. And they would have gotten away with it, too — if it weren’t for Chris Willner, a resident who knew his neighbors were away and that no one was supposed to be in their house. As the burglars yakked it up in the stolen car, Willner approached them and asked what they were up to — when they didn’t have an answer, he yanked the keys out of the car’s ignition, detained one of the criminals, and called the police. Mr. Rogers would be proud.

Tip: Trip-Taking Thoughts

Two things stopped this burglary — that the homeowners were savvy enough to tell a neighbor they were going out of town, and that the neighbor had enough guts (and observation skills) to stop the crime. If the victims had taken a few more precautions, though, they might not have been victims at all. Neighbors are great for keeping an eye out, but they can also help protect your home while you’re away by making it look like you never went away in the first place — picking up mail, cutting the lawn, clearing snow, even going through every once in a while to check on the place and flip some lights on and off. Make a pact with a close neighbor to trade off housesitting responsibilities, and you’ll be sure to come home to the same house you left.

Watchdogs Off The Leash

Back in August, a "self-appointed group of neighbors keeping an eye on things" slapped a poultice on a rash of car burglaries in Colorado Springs. The group had a phone chain in place to alert neighbors about suspicious activity, and when car alarms started going off all over the neighborhood, they used it. A few went after the would-be thieves with sticks, eventually cornering them behind some bushes. Two teenagers came out with their hands up, probably scared straight for life.

Original Article: http://simplisafe.com/blog/does-your-neighbor-have-your-back

Comments(1)

Would you give a thief direct access to your checking account?

No? Unfortunately, you may be doing just that by regularly using your debit card. Debit cards may look identical to credit cards, but there’s one key difference. With credit cards, users who spot fraudulent charges on their bill can simply decline the charges and not pay the bill. On the other hand, debit cards draw money directly from your checking account, rather than from an intermediary such as a credit card company.

Because of that, even clear-cut cases of fraud where victims are protected from liability by consumer protection laws can cause significant hardship, says Frank Abagnale, a secure-document consultant in Washington, D.C.

He cites the example of the The TJX Companies Inc.’s T.J. Maxx data breach that exposed the payment information of thousands of customers in 2007. The incident resulted in $150 million in fraud losses, and much of it was pulled directly from customers’ bank accounts. While credit card users got their accounts straightened out and new cards in the mail within a few days, the case created major problems for debit card holders who waited an average of two to three months to get reimbursed, Abagnale says.

While debit card fraud is always a possibility, being careful where you use it can help keep your checking account balance out of the hands of criminals.

Read more: 4 Risky Places To Swipe Debit Card | Bankrate.com http://www.bankrate.com/finance/checking/risky-places-swipe-debit-card-1.aspx#ixzz20AEtVzsM

Comments(1)

http://twitter.com/#!/NeedADebitCard

This page is dedicated to those who post photos of their Debit cards online.

Comments(0)