COPPSBlog

I received an email from a friend of my with some great tips on preventing Identity Theaft, so I thought I would share them with you:

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put “Photo ID Required.”

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts,  DO NOT put the complete  account number on the ‘For’ line. Instead, just put the  last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through
all the check processing channels won’t have access to it.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address.. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never  have your  SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.

4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license,credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of theaccount numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.

Also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We’ve all heard horror stories about fraud that’s committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

5. We have been told we should  cancel our  credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

6.  File a  police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc.,were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

7. Call  the 3 national credit reporting organizations  immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank
that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the internet in my name.

The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit..

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:

1.) Equifax:  1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

You may want to think twice the next time you put a check in the mail to pay your bills.  Flagging is a trend that we have started to see in Bellevue.  We have had a couple of people report that they had put a check in the mail to pay a bill and it was cashed by an unknown party in a different amount.  The individual who got caught told the officer that he drove down the street looking for mailboxes with the flag up. He would go through the mail looking for a bill and would take the check out.  He was then able to clean the ink off with rubbing alcohol and put his name on the check and in these cases changed the amount as well. 

Keep this in mind if you have a traditional mail box and you still pay your bills by mail. If you do you may want to go the extra step and take your mail to the post office.  This is just another thing to be aware of.  If you see someone other than the mail carrier in your neighbor’s mail box give us a call. They are probably up to no good.

Last night in the Heritage Hills area several mailboxes got hit with a baseball bat.  This is something that we don’t usually see when it is this cold out, but it is a wake up call that we still need to be vigilant.  If you see a car driving slowly down your street and you don’t recognize it give us a call.  If your dog starts to bark, or if you hear other neighborhood dogs barking, get up and look out your window and see if you see anything. If you think you hear any loud noises give us a call to check the area.  A baseball bat meeting a mail box does make a loud noise.  We would like to catch these kids in the act and could use your help.  I’m sure this wasn’t their first night out and since they haven’t been caught it won’t be there last.  Call 911 or 293-3100 if you see anything suspicious.  Any thing out of the ordinary is suspicious.

I don’t have a lot of information for you, but wanted to let you know that a woman was stabbed in the area of 41st and Souther Hills Dr. today at about 1:00 p.m. The suspect is in custoday and there is no threat to the Neighborhood.

Hi all, I hope you are having a nice and safe Holiday Season.  Below are some Holiday Safety Tips I got from the Safe Kids website.

Seasonal Safety
Decorating Tips for a Safe Holiday Season

If you decorate a tree, Safe Kids USA and the United States Fire Administration recommend these precautions:

• Never leave a lighted Christmas tree or other decorative lighting display unattended. Inspect lights for exposed or frayed wires, loose connections and broken sockets. Do not overload extension cords or outlets and do not run an electrical cord under a rug.

• Natural Christmas trees always involve some risk of fire. To minimize the risk, get a fresh tree and keep it watered at all times. Do not put the tree within three feet of a fireplace, space heater, radiator or heat vent.

• Decorate with children in mind. Do not put ornaments that have small parts or metal hooks, or look like food or candy, on the lower branches where small children can reach them. Trim protruding branches at or below a child’s eye level, and keep lights out of reach.

• Do not burn Christmas tree branches, treated wood or wrapping paper in a home fireplace.

• Do not put candles on a tree or a natural wreath, or near curtains or drapes, and keep matches and lighters locked out of reach of children.

• Battery-operated flameless candles are an alternative that does not have a fire risk. Decorative lighting should be labeled with the seal of an independent testing lab and should only be used outdoors if it’s labeled for outdoor use.

Safe Kids USA also offers these tips to prevent poisoning:

• Keep alcohol (including baking extracts) out of reach and do not leave alcoholic drinks unattended.

• Color additives used in fireplace fires are a toxic product and should be stored out of reach. Artificial snow can be harmful if inhaled, so use it in a well-vented space.

• Mistletoe berries, Holly Berry and Jerusalem Cherry can be poisonous. If they are used in decorating, make sure children and pets cannot reach it.

• In a poison emergency, call the national Poison Control Hotline at 800-222-1222 to be routed to your local poison control center.

For in-depth fire safety information, visit the USFA’s fire safety Web site at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/index.shtm.

Hi folks, Maddy here, well it was an extremely active weekend here on Nob Hill. Sat. 11/21 at approx. 11:30 p.m., someone tried to gain entry to my home through our back sliding glass door.  I have filed a police report with Bellevue. I was made aware today that on that same evening my neighbors purse was stolen from her vehicle which was parked in her closed garage(she didn’t notice til this morning). She too has filed a report. I hope the subject or subjects got what they wanted and won’t return but, let’s be extra diligent with x-mas approaching.  Wishing you all Happy Holidays!

The Holiday Season is here, and with the season of Giving, to the criminal’s it is the season of taking. 

When at home, Make sure you are locking your exterior doors.  Do not advertise you recent big purchases by putting the box for your new flat screen out by the curb.  This is a great time to take inventory of your belongings, write down model and serial numbers, take photographs or a video of your items. Don’t leave items out in the open in your car.  

Criminals sometimes pose as couriers delivering gifts. And it’s not uncommon for people to try to take advantage of others’ generosity during the holidays by going door-to-door for charitable donations when there’s no charity involved. Ask for identification, and find out how the funds will be used. If you aren’t satisfied, don’t give. Help a charitable organization you know an like instead.

When you are out shopping, be vigilant. Park in a well lit area. Get your keys out of your purse or pocket before leaving the store. When you are at your car fumbeling through your purse looking for your keys you are more voneralble.  Put your shopping bags in the trunk or where they can’t be seen.  Lock your doors and roll up your windows. Avoid carrining large amounts of cash, pay with check or credit card if possible.

When you are traveling, get an automatic timer for you your lights.  Let your neighbor know that you will be gone or if a family member will be stopping by to take care of your plants.  Put a hold on your paper and mail.  Request a vacation check from the police department.

Most important of all, be safe and enjoy your friends and family.  Happy Holidays!

I just want to thank all the Neighborhood Watch Groups that participated and donated to the Shop with a Cop program.  Because of you, this year’s program will be a great success! You all just prove to me over and over just how great the Citizen’s of Bellevue really are.  Thank you for all that you do for YOUR community!

If you did not get a chance to give and still would like to please contact me at 402-293-3086.

Thanks Again, Jayme

Couldn’t resist sharing this with everyone- I saw this on WOWT6 last night. Its about an Omaha neighborhood, but this could have been anyone of our neighborhoods. This is what neighborhood watch is all about! A true success story! Neighbors looking out for neighbors and catching the bad guys in the act.

Here’s a link to the text version of the article:
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/65098522.html

This link should take you to the video:
WOWT 6 News 10@10 article

I just read this on WOWT.com today and thought I’d share with everyone. I thought it had some useful information about burglaries & home security tips for neighbors to supplement Sgt. Jarvis’ post a couple months ago: http://www.wowt.com/news/misc/15607977.html

Also, here is a quick link to Sgt.Jarvis’ post:

http://bellevuepd.com/coppsblog/?p=282