'Tis The Season To Be Cautious

With the holiday's already upon on, we would like take the opportunity to remind our members that they should be be extra vigilant as they go about their business.  Some types of crime tend to spike during this time of year, such as home burglaries, car burglaries, thefts at malls & online scams so it is particularly important for members to be aware of their surroundings at all times and report any suspicious activity immediately to Police.  Online scams are the worst to spot since criminals will exploit email, text messages, phone calls and postal mail to scam folks by scaring them into submitting information that can be used to steal your cash or identity.  There are quite a few things that members can do to protect themselves so here are some useful tips to keep in mind this holiday season.

• Protect Your Home
  • Keep your home well lit at night.
  • Make sure you mail is not visible after delivery and pickup as soon as possible to avoid mail theft.
  • Do not display gifts beneath the Christmas tree or in any way that can be easily seen from the outside.
  • Valuable electronics should never be left out and visible from outside your windows.
  • Keep your rear gates locked at all times.
  • Do not advertise gifts by leaving boxes out and visible during garbage collection and instead, flatten and place them in your recycle bin.
  • If you will be away from home during the holidays, make sure that you and your children do not advertise that you will be away on social media. You should also suspend newspaper deliveries and have your mail held at the post office.
  • Make sure that your home looks occupied by using light timers.
  • For those with storm shutters, you may close them if you will be away, but you must notify us before doing so.
  • Always ensure that you keep your vehicles locked and any valuables, such as phones, tablets, etc.., are hidden or removed from your vehicle to avoid car burglaries.
• While Shopping
  • Always park in a well lit area if shopping in the evening.
  • When using your debit cards, do not expose your PIN number or if you have the option swipe as credit instead.
  • Never leave your purse unattended.
  • Do not place your purse or wallet in a shopping cart and instead keep your purse close to your body and closed at all times.
  • Do not leave purchased items unattended.
  • When returning to your vehicle, be sure to walk directly to your vehicle with keys in hand, so that you are able to unlock your vehicle quickly. Always be aware of your surroundings.
  • Never leave your purse on the seat of your car.
  • Be sure to place your shopping items in the trunk of your car and out of sight.
  • Once inside, lock your vehicle’s doors.
• Online Fraud
• Be suspicious of any text message, email, letters or phone calls you receive especially if they are asking you for personal information such as date of birth, credit card or bank account information.Your bank will never ask you to provide personal information in an unsolicited email, text message or phone call.
• Any emails, text message or phone calls asking you to click on a link or go to a website should always be treated with suspicion. When in doubt, call your bank or credit card company using the phone number behind your bank or credit card and inform the of the situation.
• Never reply to unsolicited emails, pop-up messages or texts asking for personal or financial information.
• Do not call any phone numbers contained in messages. Never open any links or documents contained in these messages as they may route you to a bogus and malicious website which could expose your PC/Phone/Tablet with malware or viruses.
• Carefully review your account statements and look for any unauthorized transactions.

We Hope that some of these tips are useful to our members and helps them stay safe during this holiday season. The Devon-Aire Villas #1 Board of Directors & Brickell Property Management would also like to take the opportunity to wish our membership and their families a safe, happy and wonderful Thanksgiving.