Here is technological anecdote or two to think about over the festive period!  Be careful with your gifts and gadgets…

GPS/ Sat nav
A couple had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS .

When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen.

The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house…It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents.

Moral of the story:
Something to consider if you have a GPS - don’t put your home address in it. Put a nearby address (like a local church or the Police station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

Mobile phones
A lady’s handbag, which contained her mobile phone, credit card and wallet was stolen.

20 minutes later when she called her husband from a pay phone telling him what had happened, he said “I received your text asking about our Pin number and I’ve replied”

When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen phone to text her husband, who was listed in her phone as her ‘hubby’ in the contact list.

Moral of the story:
Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list.

Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mum, etc….and very importantly, when sensitive info is needed always agree with each other you will ring and never request such information by text.