Spring Break and Vacation Safety Tips:

Homes

Keep all your doors and windows locked.

Have the Post Office hold your mail while you're away.  If you get newspaper delivery, have the delivery suspended or have your neighbor pick it up for you daily.  A pile of newspapers and/or an accumulation of mail are an easy way for a thief to know that no one is home.

Place timers on your lights, so they turn off and on on their own.

Have a neighbor, friend or relative stop by and check on your house while you are away.  Let them know if anyone else should be at the house, and make sure they have a way to contact you.  You can also request that a 'close patrol' of your home be made by local law enforcement while you are away.

Vehicles

Always be sure to lock your doors and roll up the windows.

Never leave property in the seats, floorboards or in the beds of trucks.

Hide items so they cannot be seen by someone looking into your car.

Be sure to remove and hide your radar detectors, GPS units, etc and their mounts.  Leaving the mounts or the cords in plain sight tells a thief that there could be some property inside.

2010 U.S. Census

The 2010 U.S. Census process has begun.  Everyone should be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft.

There will be more than 140,000 US census workers counting every person in the United States.  They will be gathering information about every person living in each house including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.  The Census Bureau may ask for your salary range but you do not need to give this information if you don't want to.  The Census Bureau only needs to know how many people live in the household.

HOW DO YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A U.S. CENSUS WORKER AND A CON ARTIST?

U.S. Census workers will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag and a confidentiality notice.  Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering any questions.

The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations.  Anyone asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.

DO NOT give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.

Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail or in person at home.  The Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.  Never click or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Remember, you should NEVER invite anyone you do not know into your home.