All American Alarm LLC

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While you are out of town on vacation or even just overnight, an unguarded, unprotected home is a sitting target for burglars. Alarm systems and motion detectors are invaluable as far as warding of crime while youre away, however, if these are the only precautions youre taking, theres still a lot more risk you could easily eliminate, ensuring both the safety of your property and ease of mind. When youre out of town you are less in control, so its best to be prepared in case the house sitter forgets to reactivate the alarm or theres some sort of malfunction. Be sure to turn off the coffeemaker, dial back the air conditioner or whatever other to-dos you would normally check off before leaving for any sizeable chunk of time, but add these tips to the list, just to be safe.

Use Timers Timers are often built in to home electronics so that they can be programmed to turn on and off automatically. Lights, televisions and radios turning on and off sporadically throughout the day gives the illusion that the house is occupied even if its completely empty. It has long been recommended to leave a few lights on, but timed lights work even better because observant thieves may notice the house lighting patterns are unchanged. It also saves on utility bills upon your return. (more…)

While online shopping, banking and even socializing allows users to avoid painstaking errand runs and the unnecessary rendezvous, this heightened level of convenience can come crashing down if secure online information is compromised by tech savvy identity thieves. With every new frontier of innovation and possibility sadly comes another means by which conniving and deceitful individuals can take advantage of nave, uninformed victims. The technological revolution has altered the way we think about theft transforming busy-street pickpockets and back-alley muggers into far away criminals hiding behind only a computer screen. In order to protect yourself in an increasingly online era, with more and more information being readily available at the fingertips of the keyboard, it is important to know how to keep your personal info safe. Here are a few helpful tips:

Avoid clicking time saving remember me boxes Why lay out a roadmap for potential thieves directly to private or purchasing information? This is especially important on public computers. It is better to avoid using these all together just in case your home computer is stolen or compromised, after all, whats a few seconds compared to the potential time spent recovering lost funds and ruined credit were your identity fall into the wrong hands. (more…)

Out of town trips are not the only time your home is vulnerable to break in or intrusion. Daytime burglary was not created out of thin air by screenwriters for Home Alone 3; it comes with real world precedent. During the day, homeowners are less concerned with the possibility of break in, making it more likely alarm systems will not be programmed and further precautions simply ignored. Meanwhile, a lot of working adults are out of the house for a large portion of the daylight hours, leaving their possessions vulnerable. Here are a few home protection suggestions to help keep your home safe no matter what time or occasion.

Invest in back up locks Locking your door can only go so far as a lot of burglars are accomplished lock picks, even if its not a skill that can go on a resume. A lock beyond the simple door lock, in addition to the common deadbolt lock, can ultimately thwart intruders who intend to gain entry in this manner. Doorknob and deadbolt locks are traditionally positioned around waste level on the door and are often within arms length of a window. This is poor placement as once this window is broken they are suddenly in reach. Place the third lock far away from breakable glass and in a different position than the other two locks. (more…)

As a rule of thumb, anything we consider our own can be stolen from us, whether it is a tangible item or an original idea. Just like the car sitting in your driveway, concepts and innovations you have floating around in your head, even if the actual product or service has not yet come to fruition, are your very own and thus are protected from being used without your consent and or reimbursement. Though not necessarily a possession, ideas still qualify as intellectual property. This is not to say that just because back in the 80s you had the notion people should be able to communicate from anywhere with magic wireless phones that AT&T and Nokia should live in fear of your lawsuit . In order for your brainchildren to be legally protected from idea-thieves as well as likeminded thinkers, there are a handful of steps you must take to complete the process. (more…)

Every day when walking down busy sidewalks or cramming into overcrowded public transportation trains and buses, people place their possessions at risk, even if safely tucked away on their person. Vacationers and tourists are particularly vulnerable, partially because they are less familiar with their surroundings and are often carrying more items of value that can be easily lifted. Between airplane tickets, passports and wallets, an international traveler has a lot of valuables on his or her mind that he or she must be able to keep track of at all points of the journey. Here are some tips and recommendations to help keep your possessions exactly where you put them and steer clear of potential pickpockets and thieves both at home and abroad.

Research the area If you are out of town, be sure to know where you are going and what type of area it is. Well respected travel guide books and websites, friends familiar with the area and other reliable 3rd party information sources should be thoroughly put to use in order to avoid unnecessary risks. Newly acquainted locals may offer advice but could actually be in on a plan to scam or pickpocket tourists. Tourism offices and even travel agents may be paid to promote a certain area despite theft risks, so take seemingly reassuring words with a grain of salt. (more…)