‘It is good practice not to open your door to strangers. Talk to them through the door or intercom…’
TODAY’S social chaos appears to inspire fraudulence, cybercrimes, identity thefts, scams of various types, and other criminal activities. Unfortunately, some of our misguided elected leaders are making it even worse.
In California, for instance, breaking into stores and stealing in broad daylight is legal, so long as the items stolen cost less than $950 and are perpetrated by an individual thief, not an organized ring. Stealing is sanctioned and legally protected under these conditions by the legislation recently signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.
This insane legalization of theft has obviously incentivized the countless daylight burglaries in well-known high-end stores in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other towns. The wisdom behind the Newsom law escapes me. My Christian belief that stealing even one cent is a crime is obviously obsolete.
The Philippines, as a nation and a people, are wiser than these radical sectors in the United States. My book, “Where is My America?” (on amazon.com) condemned this destructive liberalism and socialism.
Home invasion
In the United States, there are roughly 4,800 home burglaries each day, according to the National Center of Victims of Crimes, three times in urban areas. Most occurred between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when homeowners were away. However, 27.6 percent of burglaries took place while homeowners were home.
In 2022 alone, the FBI reported 847,522 burglaries, a break-in every 36 seconds, and those without security alarm systems were 300 percent more victimized. There are about 46.9 percent of homes in the USA that do not have a security system, despite warnings that 83 percent of would-be burglars first check for the presence of an alarm system and invade homes without a security system. Police solve only about 12 burglary cases. A third of burglars used open front doors for entry. Only around 55.7 percent of women and 44.3 percent of men lock their front doors. It is important to post a security system placard by your home entrance.
Home security systems are now reasonably priced. The do-it-yourself SimpliSafe and other DIY systems start at less than $300, come as a complete kit, and are very easy to install. A home security system with added security cameras in and out of your home is worth the investment and might even lower your home insurance.
It is good practice not to open your door to strangers. Talk to them through the door or intercom, even if they are uniformed police. (Call the police precinct to confirm, using a verified phone number). When you decide to open your door, do not turn off your home security system, and allow it to continue beeping. Turn it off only when you feel safe about the person at your door.
Ring doorbell
Ring doorbell cameras are added security measures for your home. You can see and talk to people at your door, making them think you are home even if you are away (talking to them through your phone). This also enables you to talk to strangers without opening your door.
While on a medical mission in the Philippines a couple of years ago, my cell phone sounded the Ring doorbell signal and I saw my daughter, Portia, with her husband Chito, and sons, Adan and Brendan on my phone screen. They were able to enter our home in Northwest Indiana but forgot the security alarm code. When I started talking, they were a bit startled but happy to hear my voice. I reminded them of the security code, seconds before the alarm went off, which prevented an encounter with the Police.
Credit cards
It is safer to have only one, or at most, two credit cards, and not more. Credit cards are more secure than debit cards. Debit cards are like cash, so be very careful, since they are easier to steal your money with. Using Apps like Amazon Pay, Samsung Pay, or iPhone Pay, is safer since each transaction provides a different set of code numbers, and no person handles (or clones) your card. Do not text or email your credit card number, or any personal and bank data. Online, make sure the vendor is reputable and use a secure encrypted method for credit card payment. It is best not to order and give your credit card data by phone.
Wi-Fi-assisted thefts
Thieves with a cloning gadget can easily electronically copy your credit card number and passport data by simply coming close to you. They can even clone electronic keys by intercepting radio signals using a scanner. The key emits a signal to lock or unlock your car or to start the engine. They can clone your key fob to open your car’s trunk or your garage door and save them in their gadget’s memory. A key fob can be generated in seconds.
Locked out?
If you are miles away and get locked out of your car, don’t worry, as long as you have access to a cell phone with cellular service, and someone is at home with a duplicate key fob of your car.
I have used this technique before, but I tried it again this morning for this article in my column today. With my wife holding her cell phone and my car’s duplicate key fob at home as she talked to me, I held my phone (with speakerphone on) close to my car’s door keyhole and asked her to click on the unlock button of the key fob in her hand near her phone. This instantly unlocked my car door miles away from home. I can also unlock her car door while I am miles away using the same strategy.
The sound emitted by the key fob was transmitted by her cell phone to my cell phone, and the signal was “heard” by my car’s key sensor, unlocking my car’s door instantly. Try it and be amazed.
The same key fob signal could be copied by a scanner operated by thieves (lurking nearby) to open your car door, trunk or garage door. To prevent this, my wife and I have been locking and unlocking our cars manually (not with key fob signals) for two decades now.
Wi-Fi-door control
Opening and locking your front/back doors or garage doors, using a wi-fi remote control via your cellphone from anywhere around the world where internet/cellular services are available, is a great convenience but must be used sparingly and very carefully. Automatic digital locks for doors are very convenient and they auto-lock after you exit or enter. The popular MyQ for garage doors allows you to open or close them via wi-fi anywhere in the world as long as your phone has a cellular/internet connection. It could also be pre-set to automatically close the garage door (when you forget) after, say 5 minutes, or longer, 24/7.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a cardiac surgeon emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, health advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995 presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later presidential candidate Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, Astronaut Gus Grissom, scientists, and educators. (Source: Wikipedia). Websites: Today.SPSAtoday.com, Amazon.com: “Where is My America?” Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
