Crime Tips & Prevention

Burglary Basics

Make your home look occupied, and make it difficult to break in.
Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed. Even if you are just planning to be gone a short time, LOCK YOUR DOORS.
Leave some lights on when you go out. If you are planning to be gone for an extended period of time, connect some lamps to an automatic timer.
Keep your garage doors closed and locked.
Don't allow your mail or newspapers to build up for several days if you are out of town. Contact the post office and have them hold your mail, or arrange for a friend to pick it up.
Install deadbolt locks on ALL your outside doors.
Store lawn mowers, bicycles, etc... out of sight.
Always lock your garden sheds and garages.
Have adequate exterior lighting.
Trim trees and shrubs so that they cannot be used as hiding places for intruders.
An alarm system is excellent for home security.
Don't store and extra key under the floor mat, nearby flower pot, or other similar locations. Burglars are familiar with these.
Keep a detailed inventory of your valuable possessions, including serial numbers. Take a video or photographs of your home possessions (your insurance company may be able to assist you).
IF YOU SEE SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT!

Remember the 3 L's of Crime Prevention: LIGHTS, LOCKS & THE LAW!

Vehicle Theft

If available, park your vehicle inside a locked garage. (Even if the garage is locked, you should still remove the keys from your vehicle and lock the doors).
NEVER leave your keys in your vehicle while it is unattended, even for a short period of time.
Park in a well-lit area, away from shrubs or bushes.

Identity Theft

Treat your Social Security Number as confidential.
Make sure no one is looking over your shoulder when using an ATM. Guard your PIN number.
Commit all passwords to memory. Do not write them down.
Shred your bank statements and other important documents before you place them in the garbage.
Do not endorse checks that you weren't expecting or that claim to be part of a "Sweepstakes" you didn't even know you were entered in. If you receive one of these checks take it to your local law enforcement so they can attempt to verify the validity of it.
Trust your instincts. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

To freeze your credit, you must separately contact each of the three major credit bureaus-Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion-online, by phone, or by mail. It is free, does not affect your credit score, and prevents new accounts from being opened in your name.

Protect your community by reporting fraud, scams, and bad business practices. https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Teen Internet Safety

Here is a link to a site that provides a lot of valuable information on keeping your kids safe online.

Keeping Kids Safe in Cyberspace

You can find a lot more information by clicking on the links below.

One is for the National Crime Prevention Council, the other is the link to the Cherokee County Offender site. On our offender site you will find more "Frequently Asked Questions," tips for talking with your children about offenders and community awareness fliers!

Scams

Scams commonly use urgency, impersonation (banks/government), and unusual payment methods (gift cards, crypto) to steal money or data. Prevent them by slowing down, verifying identities directly, never paying upfront, and using multi-factor authentication. Key signs include unsolicited requests for personal info or high-pressure tactics.

Impersonation: Scammers pose as trusted entities like the IRS, Social Security Administration, police, or tech support.
Urgency & Fear: They create a sense of panic, claiming you will be arrested, fined, or lose accounts if you don't act immediately.
Unusual Payments: They demand payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or payment apps (e.g., Zelle, Venmo) because these are hard to trace and reverse.
Too Good to Be True: Offers for free money, high-return investments, or prizes usually require a "fee" upfront.
Personal Information Fishing: They ask for Social Security numbers, bank account details, or passwords under false pretenses.

Stop and Verify: If an unexpected caller or message pressures you, hang up or delete it. Contact the company directly using a verified phone number from their official website.
Never Pay Upfront: Legitimate businesses, especially job recruiters or government agencies, will not ask for payment in advance, especially via gift cards.
Secure Your Accounts: Use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all sensitive accounts.
Don't Click Links: Avoid clicking links or downloading attachments in unsolicited emails or texts.
Monitor Accounts: Regularly review bank and credit card statements for unauthorized charges.
Guard Personal Info: Be cautious about sharing personal details on social media, which can be used for phishing or to guess security answers.

If you have fallen victim, report it immediately to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at IdentityTheft.gov and file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

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Law enforcement will NEVER call to demand money, threaten arrest, or request payment via gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.

These are common, sophisticated scams designed to steal money and personal information.

Spoofed Caller ID: Scammers make the call appear as if it is coming from a real police station or government agency.
Fear Mongering: Claiming you have a warrant or that a family member is in jail to rush you into paying.
Unusual Payment Methods: Demanding payment through gift cards, prepaid cards, or Bitcoin machines.

How to Protect Yourself:
Hang Up: Do not engage with the caller, even if they know your personal details.
Verify Directly: If concerned, hang up and call the police department directly using a number from their official website.
Never Pay: Never give money or financial information over the phone to someone claiming to be law enforcement.
Report It: File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission if you are targeted.

Additional Information
Cherokee County Offender Watch
National Crime Prevention Tips