things your burglar won’t tell you...cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering...
TRANSCRIPT
Although touched on in November, this is a little more specific information. This will also be the main topic of the March Meeting. For additional information, please
go to www.census.gov
N E I G HB ORHOOD WA TCH N EWS L E T T E R
February 2010
CA LE NDAR O F E V EN T S
March 2, 2010 Neighborhood Watch Captain Meeting
Truman High School Room 240 7:00 PM
April 6, 2010 Neighborhood Watch Captain Meeting
Truman High School Room 240 7:00 PM
May 1, 2010 Neighborhood Watch
Bicycle Rodeo South Parking Lot RLDS Auditorium
11:30 AM to 2:00 PM
Phishing Phishing' is the
criminal process of at tempting to acquire infor mation such as usernames, passwords, social security numbers, bank or credit card details by masquerad ing as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communi cation.
Phishing is typi cally carried out by email and it often directs users to enter sensitive information at a fake web site whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one.
2 0 1 0 C EN S U S A D D I T IO N A L I N FO RM A T I ON
Fraudulent Activity and Scams: The Census Bureau uses a work
force of trained federal employees to con duct a variety of household and business surveys by telephone, inperson interviews, through the mail, and in limited cases through the Internet. We understand your personal information is sensitive, and go to great lengths to protect the data we collect. Although we cannot stop or warn against all bogus or false collections of data here are some tips to help you recognize fraudu lent activity or unofficial data collections.
If you are contacted for any of the fol lowing reasons Do Not Participate. It is NOT the U.S. Census Bureau.
Phishing: 'Phishing' is the criminally fraudu
lent process of attempting to acquire sensi tive information such as usernames, pass words, social security numbers, bank ac count or credit card details by masquerad ing as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically car ried out by email and it often directs users to enter sensitive information at a fake web site whose look and feel are almost identi cal to the legitimate one.
Other Scams: • The Census Bureau does NOT conduct
the 2010 Census via the Internet
• The Census Bureau does not send emails about participating in the 2010 Census
Independence Police are investigat ing a series of six first degree burglaries that have taken place in the northwest area of Independence during the past five weeks. Each burglary has taken place when the residents were in the house sleeping.
The timeframe for these burglaries has been from 11:00 p.m. at night to 9:00 a.m. in the morning. The suspect(s) have been cutting screens and entering the resi dences through a window. Once inside the residence the burglar(s) have made their
way to the bedroom where items such as wallets, purses, and cash have been stolen. After stealing the items, the burglar then leaves the residence through the front door. These burglaries are a great concern to po lice because of the potential for a violent encounter between the burglar and house residents.
If anyone has any information re garding these burglaries or who the suspect (s) may be, please call the Tips Hotline at (816) 474TIPS or the Independence Police Investigative Division at (816) 3257330.
Continued to page 2
C R IM E B U L L E T I N N O R THWES T I N D E P E N D EN C E
Believe it or not, we only have two more meetings until the 2010 bicycle rodeo. Last year, over 250 people came to the one day event to get first hand instruction on bicycle safety, as well as receive a free bicycle helmet.
We are currently looking for volunteers to assist
with the planning and execution of this years rodeo. If you are able to help, please call Officer Romey at 3257643, or email him at [email protected].
This year’s rodeo will be on Saturday May 1st from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM.
The Census Bureau never:
• Asks for your full social security number
• Asks for money or a donation
• Sends requests on behalf of a political party
• Requests PIN codes, passwords or similar access infor mation for credit cards, banks or other financial ac counts.
How to report scams and bogus Census web sites: If you believe you have been contacted as part of
bogus or fraudulent activity falsely representing the Census Bureau:
In Person Scam: • Check for a valid Census ID badge
• Call your regional office to verify you are in a survey 8169942010
Email Scams: • If you think it is a bogus email, do not reply or click on
any links within the email. • Do not open any attachments. Attachments may con
tain code that could infect your computer
• Forward the email or web site URL to the Census Bu reau at [email protected].
• After you forward the email to us, delete the message. You will not receive a confirmation email after for warding the information to us. However, the Census Bureau will investigate the information and notify you of its findings.
Mail Scams:
• Contact the United States Postal Inspection Service
• Is your survey legitimate?
You may further verify if a collection activity is legitimate by calling your regional census office (816994 2010) regarding mail surveys, and our National Processing Center (18003926975) for phone surveys. Other ques tions may be answered through our Are You In a Survey? Page, which is located at www.census.gov.
Washington, D.C. The FBI today is providing a warning to the public against an ongoing scheme involving jury service. The public needs to be aware that individuals identifying themselves as U.S. court employees have been telephonically contacting citizens and advising them that they have been selected for jury duty. These individuals ask to verify names and Social Security numbers, then ask for credit card numbers. If the request is refused, citizens are then threatened with fines.
The judicial system does not contact people tele phonically and ask for personal information such as your Social Security number, date of birth or credit card num bers. If you receive one of these phone calls, do not provide any personal or confidential information to these individu
als. This is an attempt to steal or to use your identity by obtaining your name, Social Security number and poten tially to apply for credit or credit cards or other loans in your name. It is an attempt to defraud you.
If you have already been contacted and have al ready given out your personal information, please monitor your account statements and credit reports, and contact your local FBI office. Local FBI field office telephone numbers can be found in the front of your local telephone directory or on www.fbi.gov. For further information, please review the warnings posted on the U.S. Courts web site at www.uscourts.gov, "Newsroom" news article "WARNING: Bogus Phone Calls on Jury Service May lead to Fraud.”
T E L E PHO N E F R A U D I N V O L V I NG J U R Y D U T Y
2 0 1 0 B I C Y C L E R O D EO
2 0 1 0 C EN S U S C ON T . . .
TH I N G S Y O U R B U RG LAR WON ’ T T E L L Y O U :
THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU: 1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little eas ier. 3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... And taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspa pers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it. 5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy. 7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the mas ter bedroomand your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too. 8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your doorunderstandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather. 9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.) 10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms. 12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me. 13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com)
14. Sometimes I carry a clipboard, sometimes I carry a rake and dress up like a lawn guy.
I do my best to never look like a crook. 15. The two things I hate most: Loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
16. I’ll break a window to get in even if it makes a little noise. If a neighbor hears a noise he will stop and listen until he hears it again. He will go back to what he is doing. It is just human nature.
17. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave home without setting it?
18. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you are home and for flat screen TV’s and
gaming systems. I drive or walk through your neighbor hood at night, before you close the blinds just to pick my targets. 19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook Page. It is easier than you think to get your address. 20. To you, leaving the window open just a crack during the day is just a way to get a little fresh air . To me, it is an invitation. 21.If you don’t answer when I knock I try the door. Occa sionally I hit the jackpot and walk right in,
This article was forwarded to me by Andy Colletti from Cedar Oaks Crime Watch as well as David Frey from the Victorian Vigilantes. This information, as well as other good tips can be located on www.crimedoctor.com
10920 E. Winner Rd
Independence, MO 64052
Phone: 8163257643
Fax: 8163257647
Email: [email protected] www.indepmo.org/neighborhoodwatch.com
I NDE P E NDENCE N E I G HBO RHOOD WATC H
H E L P I N G T O K E E P O U R N E I G H B O R H O O D S S A F E .
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On February 2nd, neighborhood watch groups from across the city gath ered to take break from the normal meet ing structure, and relax with other mem bers of the neighborhood watch family.
Approximately 100 “watchers” showed, to show their support for each other, and receive their recognition for a job welldone. On top of the many des serts and dishes brought in by volun teers, the 40Hwy and Noland HyVee donated enough drinks to serve everyone present.
This year saw a record number of awards handed out, as 175 individuals qualified for either a level one, two, or three award.
Of the many watch groups re ceiving awards, the highest honor of the
evening, The Block Watch of the Year, went to The Cedar Oaks Crime Watch.
Setting Cedar Oaks apart from the other watch groups, was their com mitment to the community in which they live. Their contact captain, Andy Col letti, dedicates the time to organize food drives, clothing drives, and watches the bus stops as the neighborhood children come and go from school. In addition, they organize yearly block parties, and attend the monthly captain meetings.
For their commitment to making not only their neighborhood, but the en tire city of Independence a better place to live, the Cedar Oaks Crime Watch is the 2009 Block Watch Group of the Year.
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C E DAR O AK S N AME D B L OCKWATCH O F T H E Y EA R
Andy Colletti displays the Block Watch of the Year Award