Door-to-door scams may not seem as commonplace as they once were – with people now more educated on sneaky sales tactics and the ever-increasing use of the Internet for online shopping and product comparison. But, door-to-door sales scams are still happening, especially in the summertime, and there’s a good reason for that.
Quite often during the summer, there is also the influx of new, college students, home for the summer and taking short-term jobs with larger security companies that may not adhere to the training they were given, doing anything to get in sales before the summer ends. Don’t fall prey to these scams. Follow our suggestions below to have a fun, worry-free summer.
Know what to look for before you answer the door.
What are the usual types of scams?
Free Upgrades
These tend to happen from salespersons posing as representatives from your security system provider. They say that they are here to upgrade your system, however, they are actually changing out your system with a competitor’s at a higher contract price. They will say things like “your security company merged with ours or our company just bought your security company, and now we’re upgrading everyone on the legacy systems.” They will also say your security company is going out of business, and they’ve taken over the contracts and need to process a free upgrade. Anything that is “free” should raise a red flag.
Burglars
This may seem obvious, but these guys are generally very good at what they do. These would-be burglars are actually posing as a salesperson, just looking to scope out or modify your system so they can gain access more easily, at a later time.
Phone Call Scams
Not all scams are door-to-door. In fact, in 2014 home security systems phone call scams were among the top scams that year. Often the scammer will resort to calling your home and asking which security system you have installed — pretending to be a salesman for another company, but in reality, they’re just determining if you’re an easy target. Many times they will start out as a pre-recorded call aka robocall hoping you’ll take the bait and stick on the line to speak with a “representative.” The content of the robocall usually sounds generic and won’t bother listing a company name in the process.
Be aware they shouldn’t ask for a credit card or any other sensitive information over the phone. If they do, that should set off some alerts in your head to hang up the call.
Ways to avoid scams
Knowledge is power, so first and foremost make sure you contact your existing alarm company before signing any contracts or paperwork from a door-to-door salesperson from another security company. Second, inform your kids and anyone staying at your home for the summer of your alarm system and the potential for scam artists. Let them know that any changes would be scheduled and no person coming to change or fix your system would try to sell you something.
If you schedule a maintenance or upgrade appointment, make sure everyone is aware that someone will be visiting your home to work on the system, especially if you won’t be there.
Visual cues can help you decide if they are with your company. Start with the solicitor. Do they have a uniform or other identifying materials on them? Does their car have a wrap or any other company decals? Some states even require a “pocket card” that includes a license and photo ID.
No Soliciting signs are also a good deterrent for scam artists. If you let it be known that you aren’t willing to be approached, they’ll be less likely to knock on your door in the first place.
If you don’t have a sign, ask them if they have a soliciting permit in your city? Are they abiding by the rules of that permit? If they are at your home before 9am or after 7pm they are more than likely violating the ordinance. Here’s one example of a solicitation permit, required by Richardson, Texas –
Keep in touch with your neighborhood watch program and find out how common scams are in your area, and watch the local news for any notices of scams.
Get on the Do Not Call list, this will minimize solicitation calls and the potential for future scams. It’s free and easy to add yourself to the list. Just check out https://www.donotcall.gov/ and fill out the appropriate form. If someone calls you and you’re on the list already, remember to report them on that site as well!
Protect yourself and others
If you are one of the unfortunate targets of a potential scam this summer, do your part to help make it stop. Taking the time to report a potential scam artist can save many in your area the time and frustration that comes with undoing the damage caused by them. So, where do you start?
Start by contacting the local authorities to report the salesperson. Your local police department should have a non-emergency number you can call to report them. Also, don’t let your neighbors fall prey to scammers. Let them know of your encounter by posting on any online forums that you may have for your neighborhood on Facebook, Nextdoor or even texting them to get the word out.
In the unfortunate case you become the victim of a scammer, remember, you have 3 days to cancel any contract you signed. You can also file a consumer complaint with the Texas Attorney General or BBB if you like.
Spend your summer scam free
As summer begins and the temperatures rise, so do the chances you’ll encounter someone trying to scam you out of your hard earned money. Taking the time to make you and your household aware of the risks is the best way to keep a scam from happening to your home. Also, know that most reputable security companies won’t come to your home unless you have scheduled an appointment with them.
Fortress Security offers a wide range of home security capabilities and other safety features. Give us a call or fill out an online form to request a free quote today.
If you run a business, keeping your possessions secure while allowing people to access your property, whether it be a building or one of your fleet trucks — is a top priority. Determining what you will need to secure your business can be a pain if you aren’t prepared with some basic knowledge of what you can do with the options available to you today. Think of use-case scenarios, as well as how much space you’ll need to secure, to get a sense of what security technology you could (and should) implement.
Securing and Automating Your Offices While You’re Out of Town
Of course, as a business owner, you’ll need the basics in a security system – door sensors, notifications and alerts of tripped alarms instantly to your smartphone, surveillance cameras, ingress and egress access controls systems and 24-hour system monitoring – but, what about the incidentals? What about security items that are less obvious?
You’re far away on business setting up new clients, and your office or building has a fire. In the perfect scenario, you would have smoke detectors installed and connected to a professionally installed commercial fire system with U.L. Listed 24 Hour Fire System monitoring service. Now you could rest assured that your office or building and employees are safe as well as your other irreplaceable items in your business like expensive server room equipment, customer files, and proprietary company data.
In another scenario, you are away from the office and have an employee who needs access to a part of the building that is normally off limits to them. Going back to the office is not an option and not allowing the employee access slows down your production, but with an access control system and camera system, you could instantly allow access to this door with the push of a button on your smartphone and view the employee in real-time over a simple smartphone application. Not only can these systems provide you with priceless peace of mind but they can save you valuable time and money.
What all would you need in a business security system in order to do that?
First, make sure you are considering how business security differs from home security from our post “Five D’s of Business Security” when deciding on what your ultimate goals are for securing and automating your property:
Remote Smoke/CO2 Sensors would be a great place to begin ensuring your company has one of the most basic, yet often overlooked options of automated security systems. No one wants harm to come to their employees, nor do they want costly litigation with workers compensation due to injuries employees obtained at the workplace due to inadequate warning of fire and or gas leaks, not to mention trying to replace irreplaceable customer files and documents.
Water Detection Sensors can also play a vital role in protecting a company’s assets. The last thing you want to do is to allow a leak to go unchecked long enough to potentially shut down the office, causing lost time at work and potentially lost business.
Remote Surveillance systems can be set up and used in countless ways— but before you select a system, you will need to understand where you want to place them and what those environments are like. If you’re going to work with an outdoor system, you’ll need to determine if the area is adequately lit, allowing the cameras to see everything that’s going on. Also, since you’ll be accessing the system remotely, you’ll need to make sure that you have the proper connectivity via wired and or a highly secured wireless network. Another factor in video surveillance systems is where to store the videos you’re recording — do you want them stored onsite, or should you use a cloud storage system?
Backup power for all surveillance systems is a must because all it takes is for one of those Texas spring storms to pop up with lightning that’s bound to strike transformers left and right, leaving you powerless to run your surveillance system.
Automated Climate Control Systems that can be set to adjust to patterns observed and learned using one of the many Honeywell systems with built-in and custom thermostat settings. Many offer remote access, so you don’t even have to leave your desk! Aside from the convenience factor of remote access, the cost savings alone will often offset any costs associated with the installation and equipment within a year’s time.
Securing Your Mobile Fleet through GPS Fleet Tracking through GPS Fleet Tracking can save you time and money. Knowing where your fleet is, not only gives you peace of mind, it also saves you time in not having to call and ask where your employees are. With robust reporting capabilities within GPS tracking, you can use your reports to validate where your driver was and for how long, not to mention tracking speeds and utilizing Geofencing technology with alerts when a driver has entered an area they are not allowed to drive. Keeping track of your company vehicles can be easy to setup, especially if you have a well-trained technician to walk you through the process. Tracking your fleet through GPS can also provide most businesses owners with a discount on insurance as well.
You have a wealth of options for securing your business through remote means. Just spend time thinking about what you want and what your overall budget is going to be, so you’re sure to customize a system that’s the best fit for your organization. We can do a free site survey and estimate upon request, just contact us below.
MAKE YOUR HOME SMARTER, SAFER, AND MORE CONVENIENT FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE
Imagine this typical scenario –
It’s 5pm, and your doorbell rings. Maybe you’re just getting dinner started, or maybe you’re still on your way home from work or picking up the kids from school. If you are at home, you’re left with two options:
Option A: You peer out of the peephole with a friendly, “Who is it?” At best, it’s an Amazon Prime delivery. Score! Worst-case scenario it is a door-to-door salesman, solicitor or some other unknown, and your “friendly” voice has to get not so friendly and fast.
Option B: You shut down the house, and quietly tiptoe towards the door. Don’t say a word as you stealthily view out of the peephole, and hope that when you do no one is looking right back at you.
In the olden days (we’re talking last year) those were the only ways you found out who was at the door. But what happened if your doorbell rang while you were at work? Or out of the country? Was it Fed Ex, a neighbor returning some sugar, or a thug casing your house? You would never know. Things have changed. Now thanks to smart technology you can know exactly who it is at the door, and you can answer your door from virtually anywhere with the video doorbell.
When someone rings the doorbell, you will get a push alert that links directly to a live video feed so you can see who’s at the door. Whether you’re on your couch, at work, or are on a beach lounger you can virtually interact with your visitor. See and have a two-way conversation with whoever is at the door from a simple app added to your smart phone. All you need is a smart phone and a cellular connection. SkyBell also has a motion sensor activation that will activate if someone is in front of the doorbell but doesn’t ring the doorbell. See the person clearly with HD video and even see who is there when it is pitch black outside with color night vision.
According to InsuranceQuotes.com some 23 million people had packages stolen from their doorsteps last year. This rate can be especially high during the holiday season. As more and more people turn to online shopping to help with their busy lives, this problem isn’t going anywhere. This sport has become so popular that these types of thieves now have a name and are called, “porch pirates.” A video doorbell can help deter a thief. It can also help you identify the culprit (most likely they are hitting more than one house in the neighborhood) and put an end to their porch shopping escapades. A visual can also help you if you need to make a claim with your credit card company or dispute the stolen merchandise with a vendor.
So next time, when it is the middle of the night, and you hear your doorbell ring instead of lying frozen in bed wondering what do, simply check the video feed on your phone and decide your next move. SkyBell video doorbell is another valuable weapon in your safety arsenal.
Making a move is always a stressful process. But, when you find the next perfect home for you and your family, the excitement overtakes the stress, and suddenly you can’t move fast enough. An amazing floor plan, great location, and fantastic schools- this is the house for you! Before you make this major purchase, though, don’t overlook your new home’s security. It’s always a good idea to thoroughly vet the home’s safety features. A few questions to ask to know what you’re buying into are: what kind of home security system does the house have?; If it doesn’t currently have one, can a security system easily be added? Can the home security system easily be upgraded to add home automation? If major upgrades are necessary, is that something that can be included in negotiations of your new home?
Below is a home safety checklist to help you ask these questions and more, and make an informed decision on the safety profile of your new home.
Home Security System and Automation
Statistics have repeatedly shown that a security system is the single best home invasion deterrent. The home you are looking at might already have one, and if so, check it out and see if it is up to par. First, find the location of all the motion sensors, does the placement both inside and outside of the home make sense? If not, consider adding more. Also, all doors and windows should have sensors to let you know when they’re opened or closed. Make sure big windows also have glass-breaking sensors. If not, that is also an easy add-on. Video cameras both visible and hidden are great safety features. Smart home automation can allow you to watch the surveillance video from virtually anywhere. Other smart home upgrades are also worth looking into when you are improving a house’s safety features. For example, imagine one hectic morning you forgot to turn on the alarm before you left for work. Rest easy. An app on your smart phone can let you turn on your system from afar. Or, a simple text from a smart app can let you know someone is at your door, and you can view the live video feed either from your home or from somewhere else. Smart locks can help you make sure the door is locked, or you can let your housekeeper in and out without having to give them a key. Smart home upgrades are an easy and affordable way to ensure safety at your new home. According to Consumer Reports, smart devices can also increase your home’s value, on average bumping up 3-5%. Learn about easy, smart home upgrades here.
Use Online Tools
There are many online tools to help you vet the safety of the neighborhood. Spotcrime.com is one of the most popular crime tracking sites. Simply enter an address and the website will use data it’s gathered from law enforcement agencies, and the news, to tell you what crimes have been committed in the area. Get a comprehensive list of registered sex offenders in an area through familywatchdog.us. Nextdoor.com is also a great site to join and browse the crime and safety section of the neighborhood you are considering. This online community forum will give you direct access to the news, opinions and concerns of residents in your neighborhood. Of course, a good real estate agent should have some good information regarding crime in the area, and you can always call the local police precinct and get statistics.
Landscape Review
Love the landscaping at the new potential house? That’s great, but you should take a close look at safety concerns. Make sure it is not too overgrown. The bushes and trees should be trimmed, especially near windows or doors where burglars can hide. If they aren’t trimmed up, make sure it is in your budget or easy to do once you make the purchase.
It’s All About the Lighting
You also want to check the outdoor lighting. Is there a working porch light? Is the perimeter of the outside of the house well lit? Are motion detection lights in areas that need it, outside the garage and back door? Check out the house at night if possible and see if there are areas you see that need lights added. If so, can lights and motion sensors easily be added?
All Systems Go?
Inside the house, you want to make sure all the electrical systems are up to date. Outdated electrical systems can put your house at risk for a fire. Gas appliances that don’t properly work can leave you at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. You want to make sure that during your home inspection all the mechanical systems are checked out and are functioning properly and up to current code.
Keep it Solid
You want all exterior doors to be metal or solid wood. If there is glass screen door, you want to make sure it’s reinforced glass so it can’t be easily broken. Do the doors open and shut well and have good locks? Deadbolt locks at least 1 inch long can provide great protection. Do the windows have locks to keep criminals out? On the flip side, can the windows be opened in case of emergency?
Say Howdy to the Neighbors
After all of that, still interested in purchasing that home? Get out and talk to the neighbors. Do they seem like they would be good neighbors? Are they friendly, available and aware? Good neighbors watch out for each other. They keep an eye on each other’s houses too. If someone suspicious is walking down the alley, you will probably get an advisory call. Another great way to assess safety in a neighborhood is to check out the community space. Is the green space cared for well? Is there a sense of pride and visible upkeep in the area? This all shows that people value their neighborhood and its safety.
A well-protected home provides a great sense security and peace of mind. Fortress Security offers all the security features you need to make sure your new home keeps you safe and sound. Give us a call or fill out an online form to request a free quote today.
First 100 New Residential Customers Receive a 20% Off Installation Discount
DALLAS, TX (PRWEB) MARCH 30, 2016
DFW-based Fortress Security, a home security and business security systems installation specialist and provider, announced this morning the expansion of services into San Antonio, broadening their current Texas reach of Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston.
In June 2014, when Fortress Security expanded into Houston, the company saw a 30 percent increase in new Houston home and business security system customers the first month and a 31 percent increase the second month. Jerrod Smith, founder and owner of Fortress Security, is expecting to make a similar impact in San Antonio.
A thief can get away with a lot in a successful home invasion. So imagine what a typical office could offer – Jackpot!
A burglar might need more people for the heavy lifting but an office is filled with a wide array of pricey products including: computers, printers, displays, servers, copiers, and fax machines. A robbery of a company’s warehouse could possibly wipe out all of the inventory and a business in the process. What makes a place of business an easy target? Well, it is a place of business, and most likely closes every day. It is easy for a burglar to case it and decipher normal work times. Is the parking lot empty? Check. Is it after 8 PM? Check. Are the lights off? Check. According to buyerzone.com each year companies lose billions of dollars in theft, both internal and external. So what does a commercial security system cost? What are the costs of protecting your company?
Standard Cost of a Commercial Security System
The standard cost of a commercial security system depends on how complex a system you need. An office security system to protect your assets can range from being relatively inexpensive to costing quite a bit. It mostly depends on the how much equipment is necessary to protect your assets, and the size of your space.
Your milk is about to expire. How do you know? Your smart fridge just let you know. This technology isn’t available at most houses yet, but it will be soon. Every day, an average of 5.5 million smart devices are being connected in homes around the world. According to Gartner research there will be 6.4 billion of these “Internet of Things” devices by year’s end, and 20.8 billion devices by 2020. Automated homes are the wave of the future, and the future is here.
Smart home door locks, smart home thermostats, smart home security systems and cameras: you’ve heard the phrase smart home be thrown around, but what does it mean?
A smart home means an automated home. Tasks are done automatically without the owner manually having to do anything. No more leaving the key under the mat. You can remotely unlock your door from an app while at work to let in your housekeeper. Your smart thermostat “learns” that you leave for work every day at 8:30 AM. Following this pattern it turns down the air while you’re at work and then cycles back on so it’s the perfect temperature for when you get home. Saving you money, around an average of 33% (using this smart thermostat) in the process.
There is one universal truth amongst all business owners: your business is your livelihood. Thus, it must be protected at all costs.
When it comes to business security systems, there are plenty of viable options available to the average consumer. With the selection of companies that provide different combinations of products for home and business, it certainly makes for a daunting task trying to decide which is the more beneficial option.
Simply put, an automated home security system means your home is programmed to your lifestyle needs, wants and preferences. Want your lights to come on when the sun goes down, regardless of if you’re at home or not? Maybe you need to let someone in, but you can’t get to the door? Or, for budgetary reasons, do you want to set your home’s temperature to optimal settings only when someone’s in the house? All of this, and more, are some of the conveniences that come with an automated home system.
With a smart home and an automated system, you can arm and disarm your security system and camera system according to a schedule, remotely control camera monitoring and recording, manage your temperature settings, turn lights on and off, lock and unlock doors, and manage major appliance controls. Just set it and forget it.
Over the last few years, there have been remarkable upgrades made to home surveillance cameras, which is good news considering that most home invasions originate through the front door, back door or garage. Simple security methods at these access points can do a lot to deter potential burglars, prevent home invasions and keep your family safe.
But it’s not just home invasions homeowners need to take be wary of anymore. According to a report released last month, more than 23 million Americans have had packages stolen from their front porch and outside of their homes. And, often, the only way to catch these “porch pirates” is to have them captured on video through home surveillance cameras.
Good news, though. Homeowners can now equip their homes with video monitoring and surveillance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that is accessible to them from anywhere in the world. And while most high-tech security systems used to come with a high price tag, home surveillance and top-of-the-line home security equipment is now surprisingly affordable.
To start, you just need to know what features you need, what features you want and find the product best suited for you (and your budget).
HARD-WIRED CAMERAS
One of the first questions you’ll need to ask yourself is, “do you want a wired or wireless camera?” Both work well, and both have individual pros and cons.
