events
Last Thursday, September 5th, our Concept Fine Homes team hosted an impactful Crime Prevention Event in collaboration with the Ventura County Police Department and their specialized Forgery Fraud Unit. The event brought together the local community to learn valuable insights and practical tips on safeguarding their homes and personal information. As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering safer neighborhoods, we are excited to share the resources and knowledge provided by the experts at the event.
Email Phishing: Fake emails from trusted sources to steal information or money.
Phone Call Fraud: Scammers posing as bank representatives to gain access to accounts.
Business Email Compromise (BEC): Hackers send fraudulent wire transfer instructions.
Social Engineering: Manipulation to gain confidential info.
Fake Invoices: Invoices for services not rendered.
Fraudulent Change of Address: Redirecting mail to intercept checks and sensitive info.
Deed Fraud: Forging documents to transfer property ownership.
Unfamiliar Charges: Unexpected charges on your bank or credit card statements.
Credit Report Errors: New accounts or inquiries you didn’t initiate.
Missing Bills: Bills or statements that suddenly stop arriving.
Denied Credit: Being denied credit unexpectedly or receiving less favorable terms.
Unusual Mail: Receiving bills for services you didn’t use or unfamiliar credit cards.
Alerts from Financial Institutions: Notifications about suspicious activity.
Unauthorized Account Changes: Changes to your accounts that you didn’t make.
Avoid Mailing Checks: The U.S. Postal Service is known to be vulnerable to theft.
Be Cautious with Credit Card Soliciting Mail: These can be stolen, allowing someone to file for a card in your name without your knowledge.
Credit Monitoring Services: Sign up for services that check your credit and alert you of suspicious activity.
Example: LifeLock, Aura, Identity Force Top 2024 Credit Monitoring Services
Credit Verse Debit: Dispute Resolution-Credit card companies are usually more effective at handling disputes and reversing charges. Using your credit card for non-secure transactions such as gas stations, secondary online sites, Venmo.
Venmo: Do not attach a debit account to Venmo, if hacked they can gain access to your liquid money and disputing can be excessively difficult with apps like Venmo, facebook, instagram etc. Verses attaching your credit card you can dispute unwanted charges.
Secure Practices: Use encrypted emails and two-factor authentication.
Monitor Accounts: Regularly check for unauthorized activity.
Secure Practices: Use encrypted emails and two-factor authentication.
Lower Liability: Credit cards limit your liability for unauthorized charges to $50, often waived by issuers.
Credit Verse Debit On File: If compromised, a credit card limits thief access to your credit limit, not your bank balance.
Strong Passwords: Use complex passwords and MFA.
Update Software: Keep systems updated with security patches.
Encrypt Data: Protect sensitive information.
Network Security: Use firewalls and antivirus software.
Backup Data: Regularly back up important data.
Monitor Systems: Use AI-powered security solutions.
In Ventura County, various organized gangs are typically involved in break-ins. Majority of these groups are not looking for violent confrontation, their goal is to be in and out without anyone home.
Times can vary depending on which organized group is planning the break-in. Certain groups target homes between 10am-12pm. Others target homes after dark. It's more important to have a global view of security on your home, don't only consider one time of day.
Sergeant Damian Alvarez emphasizes the importance of these measures, particularly lighting, to deter criminals. Note that emergency services can take up to 14 minutes to arrive, while these criminals can get in and out in as little as 4 minutes, often scoping homes beforehand. Taking preventative measures can be more effective than only relying on home security alerts.
Concealed Carry Permit: Required to carry a concealed weapon for self-defense.
Criminals in this neighborhood typically enter homes through upstairs windows using lawn furniture, not ladders, as these windows are often left unlocked, open, and without security cameras or lights. They are also entering through back or side glass sliding doors using tools that quickly break the glass for easy entry. They usually target the primary bedroom for valuable items.
Groups are looking for items that they can either keep for themselves or sell for immediate profit. Some organized groups are specifically targeting guns, while the majority are after expensive jewelry and high-end designer bags. They often fill one designer bag with jewelry, making up to $10,000 in a single theft. Police are seeing less large items stolen, typically small items of high value.
Bolted Safe in Garage: Invest in a large, bolted-in safe to prevent theft of the entire safe.
Bathrooms: Use false-bottom containers or hidden drawers.
Laundry Room: Hide in detergent boxes or behind appliances.
Attic: Hide in boxes labeled with mundane contents.
Emergency services can take up to 14 minutes to arrive, while these criminals can get in and out in as little as 4 minutes, often scoping homes beforehand. If you have a home security system that calls an outside service, typically they are located out of state and need to research the phone number for your local police department creating time gap for crimes to occur. Taking preventative measures can be more effective than just relying on home security alerts.
Sergeant Damian Alvarez shared that the city pays for 33 CVUSD schools to have assigned Resource Officers from the Police Department who are trained and armed for emergencies like school shootings. Mostly highschools are staffed with one of these Resource Officers, as majority of incidences occur in highschools. The school district does not cover the cost to hire a Resource Officer as their income is $305,000/yr.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
Ventura County Police Department & Forgery Fraud Unit
The Conejo Valley
Pros & Cons
Essential to know in today's market
Your Local Events
Concept Fine Homes: Where excellence sets us apart from the rest
Snack your way around the Conejo Valley
Tips & resources from the experts
First-Time Homebuyers Downpayment Assistance
You’ve got questions and we can’t wait to answer them.