Crime Prevention & Safety Tips

Here are our top 10 ATM safety tips. Please take a moment to read and share with neighbors, friends, and family. 

1. Always pay close attention to the ATM and your surroundings. Don’t select an ATM at the corner of a building — corners create a blind spot. Use an ATM located near the center of a building. Do your automated banking in a public, well-lighted location that is free of shrubbery and decorative partitions or dividers. 

2. Maintain an awareness of your surroundings throughout the entire transaction. Be wary of people trying to help you with ATM transactions. Be aware of anyone sitting in a parked car nearby. When leaving an ATM, make sure you are not being followed. If you are, drive or walk immediately to a police or fire station, or to a crowded, well-lighted location or business. If you feel you are in danger, call 911! 

3. Do not use an ATM that appears unusual looking or offers options with which you are not familiar or comfortable. 

4. Do not allow people to look over your shoulder as you enter your PIN. Memorize your PIN; never write it on the back of your card. Do not re-enter your PIN if the ATM eats your card — contact a bank official. 

5. Do not wear expensive jewelry or take other valuables to the ATM. This is an added incentive to the assailant. 

6. Never count cash at the machine or in public. Wait until you are in your car or another secure place. 

7. When using a drive-up ATM, keep your engine running, your doors locked and leave enough room to maneuver between your car and the one ahead of you in the drive-up line. 

8. Maintain a supply of deposit envelopes at home or in your car. Prepare all transaction paperwork prior to your arrival at the ATM. This will minimize the amount of time spent at the machine. 

9. Closely monitor your bank statements, as well as your balances, and immediately report any problems to your bank. 

10. If you are involved in a confrontation with an assailant who demands your money, COMPLY. 

If you have any packages stolen, please do not hesitate to contact us to report your missing products.

There are people out there who love to work to steal your hard earned money. They scam you into believing they are someone they are not. They demand payment over the phone and threaten with prosecution. Never ever give them your personal information or wire money. Once you send money over the phone, it is gone. Below are a few examples of imposter scams. 

Altered Caller ID Scams 

Scammers can manipulate caller IDs to appear to come from the police, the court, or other government agencies.

You will NEVER be asked to use cryptocurrency, gift cards, or money orders to:

• Pay Bail
• Remove a Warrant
• Pay a Fine
• Avoid Deportation or Arrest

IRS Scams 

There are scammers out there who will pretend to be the IRS or another company claiming your own them money or back taxes. They threaten to sue, arrest, or deport you if you do not pay them right away. They will ask you for payment over the phone or by sending money in another form. The caller may know some of your Social Security number or other personal information. 

The real IRS will not ask you to pay over the phone nor will they ask you to send a prepaid debit card or wire transfers. The IRS does not contact your local police to have you arrested. Do not wire money to these imposters. 

Craigslist Scams

You might be selling an item on Craigslist, OfferUp or any of the other marketplace app. You receive an offer but the person isn’t local. They agree to pay you by check, cashier check, money order, PayPal, gift card, or various other methods if you ship it to them. 

This is a sign that it could be a scam. Do not extend payment to anyone who cannot meet in person.

Tech Support Scams

You get a call from someone who says they are a computer technician. They might say they are from a well-known company like Microsoft, or maybe your internet service provider. They tell you there is a virus or other malware on your computer and if you give them remote access they can fix the issue. 

This is an example of a tech support scam. Never give control of your computer or give personal information to callers claiming to be a company. 

Grandkid Scams

If you are a grandparent, there are scammers out there who will pretend to be your grandchild. They will claim they need money for bail, a medical emergency, or any other kind of trouble. They will request for you to wire money immediately and may ask to keep it a secret. Sometimes they will try to convince you with information they found on social networking sites or by hacking into an email account to make it seem more real. 

The caller may not be who you think it is. Hang up and call your grandchild to verify it is them and never send money over the phone.

Gift Card Scams

Individuals will be asked to purchase hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards. After the gift cards have been purchased, the individual is asked to send picture of the gift card information. No real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them.

If a someone is asking you to purchase high quantities of gift cards, verify with them in person that is what they need. 

USPS Scams

Another popular scam is when people receive fraudulent text messages from USPS. Text messages will inform you that you have missed a package delivery and that your payment information and billing address need to be updated. A link will redirect you to input credit card information and billing information. 

These texts are not from the USPS. If you have any questions about package delivery or account information, please contact the official USPS website or offices. 

US Grant Scams

You receive a message from someone recommending you to participate in a US grant. You are then asked to send money to begin the application process, but promised you would receive your money back and more once the grant was finalized. 

If a proposal sounds too good to be true, it likely is! Do not send money electronically or physically to people you do not know or for reasons you have not validated. 

AI Voice Altering Scams

With new AI technology, peoples' voices and images can be replicated and repurposed to fit the agenda of a scammer. If you believe you may be in contact with someone using AI to pose as someone you know, it might be helpful to remember these identifying cues.

• set up a family code word for times of crises 
• ask to confirm information that only you two would know
• have someone else try to contact the person's actual phone number 

If you believe you might have received a scam message 

Here is what you can do:

Check it out — before you wire money to anyone. Call the person, the government agency, or someone else you trust. Get the real story and then decide what to do. No government agency will ever ask you to wire money.

Please Report Scams - If you spot a scam, please report it to the police, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Reporting to the Federal Trade Commission
1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261

Reporting to the FBI IC3

Please pass this information on to your friends, family, and neighbors. You might know these calls are from imposters, but chances are you also might know someone who doesn’t.

There are people out there who are working to steal your hard-earned money. If we work together, we can help prevent your friends, family, and yourself from becoming the next victim of identity theft.  

If your credit cards or personal information are lost or stolen, take these 3 steps immediately: 

1. Call your credit card issuer immediately to report the loss or theft of your missing card.  
2. Report your lost or stolen items to the police. 
3. Check your bank statements, credit reports, etc. and keep records of any fraudulent charges or activity. 

Protecting Your Personal Identifying Information 

Below are a few tips to help protect your personal and account information: 

• Never give your personal information over the phone to an unknown caller, especially if you did not initiate the call. 
• Do not sign a blank check or a debit slip. 
• Be sure to shred unneeded documents with personal information and old credit cards. 
• Periodically check your account activity and report any discrepancies as soon as possible. 
• Do not carry your PIN in your wallet or purse. 
• Keep your I.D. and credit cards securely in your wallet or purse. Avoid putting loose cards in your pockets or other areas where they can slip out. 
• Use strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and security questions when available.
• Use a secure wireless network not public Wi-Fi.

If you believe your personal information or credit card is lost or stolen, please do not hesitate to contact us to report your missing products.

How to Prevent Package Thefts in Your Neighborhood

1. Sign up for delivery alerts so you know when your delivery is scheduled and when the package has been delivered.
2. If you're not able to be home when a package will be delivered, ask a trusted neighbor to hold it for you. 
3. Use smart package lockers. Amazon allows you to pick up your delivery in an Amazon Locker instead of having it delivered to your house. UPS and FedEX may also have similar options. Visit Amazon Locker to find a locker near you.
4. Consider shipping packages to your place of work or use the ship to store option. 
5. Require a signature on deliveries, especially those of higher value. 
6. Install security cameras pointing at your front door. Security cameras may help deter criminals from stealing your packages. It can also serve as a way to identify the suspect if a package is stolen. *If you have footage of 
7. Be a good neighbor! If you see a package on your neighbor's doorstep, reach out and ask if they would like you to hold it until they are home. Come up with creative ways to help one another.

If you have any packages stolen, please do not hesitate to contact us to report your missing products.

Not all who knock on your door are strangers. They could be your family, friends, or neighbors. What do you do when it’s someone you don’t know? Do you answer or let them assume no one is home? 

Most people who knock on your door have good intentions. However, some burglars are known to knock on your door to see if anyone is home. If no one answers, they’ll assume no one is home and continue to break in.

We want you to be aware and not worry or panic if someone you don’t know is at your door. You can follow these simple steps to take precaution when interacting when a stranger stops by.  

• Make sure your doors are locked.
•  Look through the peephole, security camera, or window.
•  Tell your children or young teens to never open the door when someone knocks or rings the doorbell. 
•  If children are home alone, they should never indicate their parents aren’t home. If they feel unsafe, they should call the police right away.
•  Talk to them through the door.

Don’t feel obligated to open your door. Talking to them through the door or security system is perfectly fine. If they try to get you to open the door for any reason, such as claiming they are hurt, let them know you can call 911 for them. If they claim they are here to service an item in your home, tell them to comeback after they call to set up an appointment. No service company will send someone to your house without notifying you beforehand. (Be aware of phone scams like these as well.)

If the person at the door starts looking through your windows or you witness any other suspicious behavior, notify the police immediately. Having a description of the person or vehicle involved is helpful information. It is always safer to report something, even if it turns out to be nothing. 

If you feel unsafe or unsure about the person at the door, do not hesitate to call us.