Metal Theft

Metal Theft Prevention
DHI to Present at April 17 Denver Area STOMP Meeting

Evergreen, CO - April 12, 2008 - STOMP (Stop Theft Of Metal Property) is a group of law enforcement and businesses formed in response to the exponential increase in metro area metal theft.  Addressing the problem in May 2007, Governor Ritter signed HB 1141, Purchase of Metals Record Keeping (Rep. Nancy Todd, Sen. Suzanne Williams) into law. The STOMP meeting on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at the Lakewood City Council Chambers will address recent metal theft trends, effective and less effective enforcement methods, and metal theft prevention. Many notable businesses and representatives from metro area law enforcement will be in attendance. 

DHI will present DataDots at the meeting as a low cost theft deterrent for metal and other assets.  DataDots are small dots about the size of a grain of sand onto which a unique code is etched.  If stolen property marked with DataDots is found, the unique code performs 3 functions: (1) identifies and proves that a crime has occurred, (2) identifies and proves to whom the stolen property belongs, and (3) helps secure a prosecutable offense.
 
DataDots have been hugely successful in Australia in preventing automobile thefts and are proving their effectiveness as a deterrent for metal theft worldwide.  DataDots can be used on virtually any asset.  Examples of assets that can be marked with DataDots include:  automobiles, valuable metals, computer and office equipment, cell phones and iPods, agricultural equipment, construction equipment, home builder supplies, exercise equipment, sporting equipment, boats, hand tools, power tools, ATVs, tractors, maintenance equipment, plumbing equipment and supplies, electrical equipment and supplies, HVAC equipment and supplies, pool equipment, light standards/poles, air conditioners, etc. 

Digital Home Inventories helps its clients Document, Preserve, and Protect Their Assets. For additional information, please call or visit our website.
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Asset Identification through DataDots

DataDots are a very affordable, state-of-the-art, asset identification technology. The DataDots are tiny; about the size of a grain of sand. Once registered (free with purchase), DataDots can be used to identify property with its rightful owner.

Additionally, because of their size and proliferation (multiple DataDots are advised to be applied to assets in hidden and obvious locations), DataDots become an effective Theft Deterrent. For example:

• Esso (Exxon Australia) reported an 88% decline in employee pilferage of company assets 1 year after implementing a DataDot program.
• Subaru Australia has implemented a DataDot program which has resulted in a 93% decrease in unrecovered stolen vehicles.
• The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) identified a need to protect computer equipment such as laptops, which are attractive and easy to steal, together with a number of highly attractive mobile broadcasting assets. Their analysis showed the cost of protecting 17,000 assets with would be recouped if they prevented the theft of – or enabled the recovery of – just eight or ten expensive assets like laptops. “In addition to providing a psychological barrier to the theft of assets, the strategy has indeed paid for itself with the return of a number of assets by the police, tracing the assets back to the ABC via the DataDot technology,” said Laurie Treloar, ABC Risk and Asset Manager. “As these assets are below insurance excess it represents an important recovery for the ABC.”
• In a six month trial of DataDots in 40 Australian schools, school property theft was reduced by 89% - an average saving of A$6000 at every school. As a result, all schools in the state if New South Wales were then given the opportunity to use the technology. All valuable and portable school equipment including computers, VCRs, televisions, mobile phones, cameras, tools and art work were DataDotted. Even the school lawn mowers were protected. The then Minister for Education & Training, John Aquilina, was very pleased with the results. He said. “The message to would-be offenders is clear. Don’t try it, you’re being watched and you will get caught.” The system has significantly driven down the incidence and cost of theft, vandalism and arson in NSW schools.”

Interested? Contact DHI at 303-810-7368 or visit our webpage for more information.

What to do if your Identity is STOLEN

Please note that these guidelines are NOT an inclusive list. If your identity has been stolen, expect to spend many hours clearing your good name. It is an unfortunate reality that this process takes on average almost 200 hours of your time over a 2 year period.

DHI recommends that you be PROACTIVE in guarding your Identity. Protect your Identity BEFORE it gets stolen. Visit DHI's Identity Theft webpage for more information.

Guidelines to follow if you suspect that your identity has been stolen:

1. Call the fraud hotlines of the three (3) major credit reporting agencies.
   Ask them to flag your account profile with a fraud alert to prevent any accounts from being opened without your approval:
   
   • Trans Union – (800-680-7289)
   • Equifax – (800-525-6285)
   • Experian – (888-397-3742)


2. File a report with your local police.
   You will need a copy of the report to show creditors. In addition, you may need to contact the police department where the crime occurred. The Postal Inspector will also need to be contacted if a fraudulent change-of-address was filed.


3. Close all false or phony accounts.
   Ask for copies of the original credit applications for your files.


4. Close all existing accounts that have been illegally accessed.


5. Document your calls to creditors.
   Send a certified letter reiterating your requests. Keep a log of all calls, contacts and documents. File them in a safe place and keep them indefinitely.


6. If stolen items include anything with your Social Security Number, call the Social Security Administration to report that the number has been used fraudulently.


7. Call the Department of Motor Vehicles to discover if a duplicate license has been issued in your name.


8. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s)
   Identity Theft Hotline – (877-438-4338)

Other Resources:

• Identity Theft Hotline (FTC) – (877-438-4338) www.consumer.gov/idtheft


• Identity Theft Resource Center – (858-693-7935) www.idtheftcenter.com


• Trans Union’s Fraud Victim Assistance Department – (800-680-7289)

Losing a Loved One

Home Inventories help to prepare us for when tragedy strikes. The death of a loved one certainly falls within this realm. While unable to relieve the grief experienced by survivors, a Good Home Inventory can help alleviate stress by providing a central location for the decedent's important estate documents, financial statements, insurance policies, and heir designation of personal property.

In his article "Losing a Loved One", Rande Spiegelman, VP of Financial Planning at Schwab Center for Investment Research, has written a list of important procedures to consider during this emotional time. Mr. Spiegelman urges caution in making financial decisions and to be wary of criminal predators who scan obituaries seeking empty homes to burglarize. Mr. Spiegelman also reminds us to keep our own financial and estate planning affairs in order - he cites that after a certain time period, unclaimed assets resulting from a death by law become assets of the state - New York state holds $7.2 billion in unclaimed funds and California holds $4.8 billion!

A Home Inventory by DHI can help organize all of your important documents and property.

Thieves at Gas Stations

Actual footage of thieves working gas stations!! Summer is coming, please be aware of your surroundings and heed the recommendations of Sheriff Ken Jenne.

Sheriff Jenne says that the thieves are actually after items they can use to steal your identity. Protect yourself ... Please visit the DHI Identity Theft page to learn more.

Protect Your Valuables!!

Below is a link to a short article that overviews various ways to protect your valuables. Of note is #5 on the list which addresses a very affordable, state-of-the-art crime prevention technology called DataDots. Depending on its size, an asset can be protected with DataDots for pennies!

"6 Ways to Protect Your Valuables"

ID Theft from your Mail Box

One of the most common practices for a thief to steal your identity is to steal your mail.

A good security step is to use a locked mailbox.

However, with Lock Bumping, the security step of using a locked mailbox provides only a minor inconvenience to a thief. Most grouped mailboxes (apartment complexes, HOA mailbox centers, etc.) use a common lock with slight differences in the key for each mailbox. A thief with a master bump key for a group of mailboxes could literally steal hundreds of pieces of mail within a matter of minutes!

What can you do? Contact your HOA or apartment management (or the like) and request that they change the locks to bump-proof locks. However, although a justified cost in your eyes, the management will probably view the current setup as sufficient and not do anything.

Another step would be proactive of your part. Prevent your identity from being stolen before a thief even tries.

How? Please visit the DHI Identity Theft page to learn more.

Technical Info on Lock Bumping

Clicking on this link will take you to a Technical Analysis of Bumping written by security.org. The analysis was written in April 2006.

Why am I posting this? The information on Lock Bumping is "out there" in Cyberspace, available to anyone. I am posting this for the same reason this document was written, "This document addresses the relevant technical issues with regard to the vulnerability of mechanical locks to bumping and the security threat that results. Law enforcement agencies, security professionals, locksmiths and the consumer need to understand the issues in order to accurately gauge individual risks."

It is technical in nature and very informative.

As I have stated previously, please take any appropriate actions you feel are necessary to protect you, your family, and your assets.

From the DHI perspective, this topic offers a reminder that a home inventory is important. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Lock Bumping

DHI keeps abreast of current news stories that are applicable to the Documentation, Preservation and Protection of your assets.

Please take note of Lock Bumping and how it might affect you. Take the appropriate precautions you think may be necessary to protect yourself and your assets. Additional suggestions from DHI include keeping your home inventory current and the use of DataDots, a state-of-the-art asset identification technology.

Lock Bumping is a crime technique that allows criminals to open 90% of ordinary key locks with an modified ordinary key. All the criminal needs is a file to modify a key and an object (screwdriver handle or hammer) to "bump" the key in the lock.

Please see the news report that is posted on the DHI website on this subject.