New thief scam

[Gary Fowler]

I just got an email about thieves punching a small hole right below the lock handle on passenger side of car to unlock the door get what they are after and relock the door. Said the scam is that they sometimes dont steal anything but your home address on your GPS then rob your house when you leave OR they take one of two of your credit cards if purse left in car and use them for sometimes days before you realize they are gone. Anyone else got this email? Is it fact or fancy?>

 

[k0ua]

I don't know if you put much faith in Snopes.com or not, but they say, some truth some implausibility.

snopes.com: Hole Punch Car Robbery

James K0UA

 

[3930dave]

I haven't seen that email Gary, but I've always kept in mind that a real pro can be in and out of just about any car, and never leave a trace. Not talking about kids or crackheads, they leave plenty of damage.

With that in mind, I never leave my wallet or ccards in my vehicle.

If true, maybe a good decoy strategy is to program your neighbour's address in your GPS as Home - if you are lucky, your neighbour is the still-in-shape-ex-Marine, who is always home, cleaning his guns. :thumbsup:

Many of these emails are just scare-mongering, but do have some valid points amongst the noise.

Stay safe. D.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have seen the advice many years ago on not programing in your home address. If you need it, put in an address a few blocks from your house rather than your actual home. I dont know how anyone could punch a hole like that without setting off an alarm. My wifes car is so sensitive that just the sound of a nearby car door slamming, not next to but within 50 feet sometimes sets it off. Rain sets it off also, but that is really too sensitive and PIA as you cant arm it when outside in the rain.

 

[kneedeep]

I programed the Police Station as my home address :batman:!!!

 

[Bird]

Someone sent me that e-mail a long time ago, but since my old vehicles don't have GPS . . ..:laughing: I do roll up the windows and lock the doors and there's certainly never any credit cards left in a vehicle.

 

[xtn]

Unless the offender is somebody who already knows you and is acting maliciously towards you specifically, I don't see how getting your home address is any more attractive to him than any other random house he might find just driving through a neighborhood. What makes your address from your GPS any better than any other address?

 

[CharlieS]

Even those without a gps are at risk. one look at the auto registration and the burgler has your home address anyway............

 

[s219]

How does getting someone's home address from their car GPS make for a more lucrative heist? I don't see the point.

 

[3930dave]

Perhaps the bad guys maintain a Members Only site that lists addresses of people traveling far from home by car ?

Mostly I'm joking, but OTOH, not much would surprise me in this area/age.

Some people post their travel plans on Facebook. Kind of like shooting fish in a barrel for the bad guys.

Rgds, D.

 

[dave1949]

How does getting someone's home address from their car GPS make for a more lucrative heist? I don't see the point.

Poor people don't have GPS units in their car? I think the idea is to be able to know when you are not home, it lowers the thief's risk, not necessarily the value of the items. Another thing to remember is to have friends house sit during weddings and funerals. Those are often events that the time and date are widely enough known to present some risk.

 

[johnrex62]

Thieves only use the home address in the Mercedes, they skip anything found on the gps in the Yugo. :dance1:

 

[tcartwri]

Local police inform us that the most common way to steal a car now, is to enter the house and pick the keys up off the counter..... No damage, no alarms.

 

[chew]

OK. So the way it works is.

Thief looks in cars sitting at someones place of work. ie gone for the day.
Thief looks in cars for "Garage Door Openers" and GPS. Steals the opener and looks up your address on the GPS.
Robs your garage first then try's the house in case only your house has an alarm.

 

[farmfun]

Someone sent me that e-mail a long time ago, but since my old vehicles don't have GPS . . ..:laughing: I do roll up the windows and lock the doors and there's certainly never any credit cards left in a vehicle.

In my case, my Dodge is so old and ratty I've returned on 2 occasions to find where someone left a 10 spot under the wiper with a message to the effect that I needed the cash worse than they did ...

I'm more afraid when I park it, I'll return one day and find it was stolen for its scrap metal value...

 

[Bird]

In my case, my Dodge is so old and ratty I've returned on 2 occasions to find where someone left a 10 spot under the wiper with a message to the effect that I needed the cash worse than they did ...

I'm more afraid when I park it, I'll return one day and find it was stolen for its scrap metal value...

I used to have a co-worker who drove an old ragged International Scout and another of our co-workers got a big bumper sticker and put it on the back window of the Scout that said "THIS IS NOT AN ABANDONED VEHICLE".

 

[chopped]

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:I'm more afraid when I park it, I'll return one day and find it was stolen for its scrap metal value... [/QUOTE]

As Larry would say..........Now thats funny dont care who ya R.....:laughing:

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have heard of thieves breaking into cars at events like football, baseball games and getting addresses then robbing the house because they know how long you will be gone. My next door neighbor was cleaned out while they were at church with neighbors at home next door on both sides and across the street. They came in from the wooded area behind the house, took out some boards on the fence and hauled everything out thru the back. No security alarm in the house and middle of summer everyone of the neighbor was shut in under the AC.

 

[Domush]

Moral of the story.. get yourself an ED209.. preferably with a working override.

 

[farmfun]

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:I'm more afraid when I park it, I'll return one day and find it was stolen for its scrap metal value...

As Larry would say..........Now thats funny dont care who ya R.....:laughing:[/QUOTE]

Its really happening around the big city of Atlanta and its interstates ... you leave older vehicles at your OWN risk!:smiley_aafz: