BBB Alert: Locksmith Swindle On The Rise

CONSUMER ALERT

Locksmith Swindle on the Rise

· Untrustworthy locksmith companies are ripping off consumers in Memphis

· A local phone number doesn’t always mean a local locksmith

· TN enacted a locksmith licensing program in July 2008

April 9, 2009 – The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be wary of untrustworthy locksmiths operating in the Mid-South. Some “local” locksmith companies are not physically located in the area, but are simply distant call centers that farm the jobs out to unlicensed and unprofessional locksmiths who may end up doing more harm than good.

According to Kara Peifer, West TN Locksmith Association Secretary/Treasurer, a consumer who searches for a locksmith in a yellow pages directory or online may not end up with the local business they think they are contacting. “The local yellow pages directories list over 150 locksmiths in each book,” said Peifer, “and if you search online, you may end up with as many as 850 names of reputed locksmiths in the Memphis area. Many have no physical location here.”

Peifer says that the proliferation of unlicensed locksmiths is one reason that states are beginning to enact locksmith licensing laws. “Nine states have already passed these laws,” Peifer stated. “The TN Locksmith Licensing Program was enacted in July 2008.”

“Unlicensed locksmiths tend to move from state to state, leaving when the heat gets turned up in one location,” said Peifer. Pam Smith, Administrative Assistant with the TN Locksmith Licensing Program agreed.  “We’re seeing this problem all over the state,” Smith said. “It’s everywhere.”

The State of TN requires individual locksmiths to be licensed and locksmith companies to be registered with the state. Additionally, either the license or registration number must be printed on all business cards and advertising. The State of TN has both education and experience requirements for each level of licensing. And persons convicted of fraud or theft are not eligible.

“Because locksmiths are able to access secure areas and data, they could potentially be a Homeland Security threat,” Peifer said. She hopes that public awareness of the locksmith licensing requirements will help protect both consumers and her profession.

The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South offers the following tips for hiring a reputable locksmith:

· Check out the company with the BBB, preferably before you need a locksmith’s services.

· Ask the locksmith who shows up for identification and his TN license or registration number.

· Find out if the locksmith is insured to cover any damage incurred during a repair.

· Expect the locksmith to ask you for identification. A legitimate locksmith will confirm your identity and make sure you are the property owner before doing any work.

· Be wary of locksmiths who answer the phone with generic sounding names like “locksmith services”. Always ask for the legal name of the business and its physical location.

· Be wary of locksmiths who arrive in unmarked vehicles. Most legitimate locksmith companies will have vehicles that are clearly marked with the company’s name.

· In case of a lock-out, be cautious if you are told up front that the lock has to be drilled and replaced. An experienced, legitimate locksmith has invested in the tools and education to be able to unlock almost any door.

· If you are a victim of an unscrupulous locksmith, file a complaint with the BBB at bbb.org. Complaints should also be filed with the State of TN Locksmith Licensing Program by calling Pam Smith at 615.532.9170 or online at www.tn.gov/commerce/boards.

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BBB ALERT warns you about scams that may cost your business or employees money. As soon as we learn about a scam, you’ll know about it. We may also send you other important information regarding your BBB Accreditation. We will not share your email address with third parties. If you would prefer not to receive these alerts, please reply to this email with the word “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.

Nancy Crawford | Director of Marketing & Communications

Tel: 901-757-8627

Cell: 901-827-6128

Fax: 901-757-2997

Email: ncrawford@bbbmidsouth.org

www.bbb.org | Start with Trust

BBB of the Mid-South

3693 Tyndale Drive

Memphis, TN 38125

I received this the other day, and wanted to pass on this very valuable info!

Watch out & be safe!

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

http://www.personalsafetyebook.com

Identity Theft Prevention

In the course of a busy day, especially this time of the year, you may write a check at the grocery store, charge Bowl Game tickets, rent a car, mail your tax returns, change service providers for your cell phone, or apply for a credit card. In each transaction, you reveal bits of personal information, like your bank and credit card account numbers; your income, your social security number (SSN) or your name, address and phone numbers – a goldmine of information for an identity thief. Once a thief has that information, it can be used without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft.

Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend lots of time and money cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. They may lose out on job opportunities, and loans for education, housing, or cars. The may even get arrested for crimes they did not commit.

Can you prevent an identity theft? As with any crime, you cannot completely control whether you will become a victim. But according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, you can minimize your risk by managing your personal information cautiously.

If someone has used your name or other personal information to commit a fraud, please visit http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft for information on how to proceed and how to file an identity theft complaint. The site has links to useful information from other federal agencies, states, and consumer organizations. The information in your complaint becomes part of a secure database that law enforcement officials across the nation use to help stop identity thieves.

If you know someone that needs this information and they do not  have access to the internet, they may call 1877-ID-THEFT, the FTC’s toll-free ID Theft Hotline.

Tips for Staying Alert during Holiday Travel; part 2

Never drive when you are too tired to focus your attention on the road. Too many people traveling for the holidays haven’t gotten sufficient rest along the way. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that a soda or several cups of coffee are going to keep you awake. Driving while you are tired increases your chances of making mistakes and also prolongs your reaction times.

Whether you are driving yourself or taking another method of transportation, you need to keep a close eye on your items. Don’t fall victim to having your luggage, purse, or wallet stolen by someone because you left it unattended. Men should keep their wallet in their front pocket and women should keep their purses over their head across the shoulder and to the opposite arm.

If you are traveling with a spouse or other adult it is a good idea for each of you to carry some money and a credit card with you. This way if someone does get your materials you won’t be completely without access to other forms of payment you may need. It is also a good idea for each of you to carry a copy of the itinerary with confirmation numbers. This way you are likely to have one copy if the other gets lost. It is also helpful if you get separated in a crowded airport.

Traveling during the holidays can be fun and a great way to get away from your daily routine. Follow these tips to help keep yourself alert so you can have the very best time possible. Most accidents are the result of people being tired or being in too much of a hurry so get enough rest and take your time to arrive safely. Always pay close attention to your personal belongings and report any suspicious behaviors you may encounter.

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

PS… “Personal Safety & Security Secrets Revealed” is a GREAT place to pick up a copy of a personal guidebook to help improve your personal safety.

Tips for Staying Alert during Holiday Travel; part 1

Traveling during the holidays is very exciting and there is plenty going on all around you. However, it is very important that you remain alert so you won’t be involved in an accident or become a victim of theft. There are plenty of criminals that target holiday travelers as they know they are likely to have money on them and they aren’t always paying attention to their surroundings.

Accidents can take place anywhere during holiday travel so you need to be prepared for the unexpected. Never speed when you are driving and make sure you have your seat belt on. Allow at least one car length between you and the person in front of you. Should they have to brake quickly you don’t want to rear end them or end up being hit by the vehicle behind you.

Pay close attention for animals crossing the road as they can be a hazard. Even though you don’t want to hit them, slamming on your brakes or swerving can result in an accident. If you do have to swerve always go to the right so you will be off the road instead of into oncoming traffic.

There will be people along the side of the road that have been involved in accidents or their vehicles have broken down. If you decide to stop and help them be very careful of the traffic that is coming along. If you decide to keep going you should switch lanes if possible or at least move over as far as possible. You don’t want to accidentally hit someone that is walking around on the road.

While it is human nature to be compassionate and to attempt to help others you need to be careful. Scams often occur during holiday travel and you may encounter people asking for money or a ride. Trust your instincts and if you don’t feel comfortable with the circumstances you need to leave.  You can always use your cell phone to call the local authorities to give them a hand.

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

PS…have you visited “Personal Safety and Security Secrets Revealed” for your FREE copy on how to prevent Identity Theft?

Audio Version of Burglar Alarm Information

Greetings all,

This weekend as I was going through some folders, I came across an audio
version of How to Select a burglar alarm.

For those folks that are very busy and can’t read all the posts, I thought that
this audio version would be useful.

Feel free to download it to your computer, or your ipod, and forward it to
your friends if you would like to.

Please let me know how you like it, and I can produce more on the different
topics we discuss here.

Hope you enjoy this and find it useful.

http://www.personalsafetyebook.com/episode2_burglar_alarms.wav

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing

PS…The Holiday’s are here! Discover how to protect yourself from
Identity Theft with our FREE report available at :
Personal Safety and Security Secrets Revealed

At Last! Personal Safety and Security Secrets Revealed!

If you are concerned about the safety and security of yourself, your home and your family, then step into the ring and throw a knock-out punch against crime!

Thomas Sherwood; a former Sgt in the United States Marine Corps & owner of Sherwood Locksmithing of La Vergne TN. announces it’s latest online resource; “Personal Safety and Security Secrets…Revealed”, just in time for the holiday’s.

Do you know the 15 biggest mistakes new homeowners make? Do you know how to protect your home while away? Do you know how to select a burglar alarm or how to reduce the crime in your neighborhood?

The answer to these questions and more can be found in “Personal Safety & Security Secrets Revealed.” For over 13 years & 15,337 satisfied customers later, people have come to depend on Sherwood Locksmithing to keep their homes and businesses secure in Middle Tennessee.

“I found that as I was working in peoples homes, they all had numerous questions on how to keep themselves safe and secure”, says Sherwood. “What better way to answer those questions than to compile them all in one resource.”

And compile them he did. In “Personal Safety and Security Secrets Revealed”, you will find over 40 reports dealing with topics such as home and personal safety issues, keeping your boat safe, safer email’s and much more all for the low investment of just $29.97.

“Personal Safety and Security Secrets Revealed” is available online at http://www.personalsafetyebook.com and ready for immediate download, even if it’s 3:00am.

To stay in contact with his customers, Sherwood also writes a blog at http://www.personalsafetyebook.com/blog and provides fresh new content on a regular basis.

For More Information Call:

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sherwood Locksmithing
615 355-5886

Motion Detectors for Your Home Security; part three

Greetings and welcome back for part 3 of Motion
Detectors for the safety and security of your home.

I appreciate you bearing with me for 3 parts. I know
Motion Detectors are not the most exciting topic
to write about, that is why I broke it down into 3 parts.

Let’s wrap this puppy up.

Motion detectors are affordable. In addition, you can combine
motion detectors with hardwire alarm kits; hardwire alarms,
wireless alarm kits, security cameras, etc.

Online you will find clearance on home security, which can
provide you a savings on motion detectors combined with the
home security solution of choice.

Online you will also find contact door and window systems,
door and window alarms, chimes, outdoor sensor lights,
driveway alarms, and more.

In addition, you will find garage alarms, dummy cameras,
siren speakers and strobe lights, smoke/heat detectors,
and more.

Do not forget to add smoke detectors and CO
(Carbon Monoxide) alarms to your home security
package, to achieve the prized protection you deserve.

Remember, if you DO NOT have a hard-wired smoke alarm,
change your batteries every fall & spring.

I recommend doing it when the clocks are adjusted for
Daylights saving time.

All for now, thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Trapper

http://www.sherwoodlocksmithing.com

Personal safety at ATM Machines; part 2

Greetings,

In a previous post we wrote about personal safety when using an ATM machine.

Knowing your surroundings play a major role in keeping yourself safe.

Let’s continue with part 2 of Personal safety at an ATM machine.

• Choose an ATM that looks and ‘feels’ safer, even if it is a couple of miles
  out of the way.

• Try and limit your use to daylight hours. Take someone with you after hours,
  if you can.
  
  
• When you drive up to an ATM location, scan the area for any suspicious persons.
  If you see anyone suspicious standing nearby or sitting in a car, drive away.

• When you approach an ATM on foot be prepared and have your access card ready.

• Memorize your personal PIN number to prevent loss and speed the transaction.
  After inserting your card and your PIN number keep an eye out behind you.

• Never accept an offer to help or request for help from a suspicious male ahead of
  you at the machine. If anyone suspicious or seemingly dangerous approaches
  terminate your transaction and leave immediately, even if it means running away
  and leaving your ATM card in the machine.

• First, tell the suspicious male in a loud, firm voice to “back-off’ and leave you alone.
  This is designed to startle the person and give you time to flee, if appropriate.
  When you receive cash from the machine put it away immediately, extract your
  card, and walk away.

• If you use your car at a drive-thru ATM machine the same rules apply.

• Keep the car in gear, with your foot firmly on the brake, while using the
  ATM machine.

• Keep a close eye on your rear and side view mirrors during the transaction.

• Robbers almost always approach from the rear on the driver’s side. If you see
  anyone approaching, drive off even if it means leaving your A TM card behind.

If an armed robber confronts you, just give up your money without argument.
The cash is not worth serious injury or death.
Get to a safe place and call the police immediately!

As always, we hope you find these tips and guidelines useful.

If you have some comments on personal safety or security and you would like to share,
please help your fellow man or woman and leave us your comment.

Thanks for reading and stay safe,

Trapper

PS…have you picked up your copy of our 40 reports on personal safety and security?

It’s available at: http://www.personalsafetyebook.com/PPP.html

Personal Safety at ATM Machines; part 1

Greeting,

In this world of convenience, one of the most used is an ATM machine.
They simply have been incorporated into our lives. They are great to grab
some quick cash while on the run, but still, depending on the location and
time of the day, especially evening, still pose a bit of risk.

For personal safety and security sake, let’s do a little planning ahead so we
use them safely, with no injuries.

As always and as we have spoke about in other posts, be aware of your
surroundings. Just because a ATM machine is open 24/7 doesn’t mean it
is always safe to use it.

* Did you know most ATM robberies occur at night between 8:00pm &
midnight?

* ATM robbers are usually males under 25 years of age.

* ATM robbers usually position themselves nearby waiting for a victim to
approach and withdraw cash.

* Most ATM robbery victims are women and were alone when robbed.

Most victims claim that they never saw the robber coming. ATM robbers
use a gun or claim to have a concealed weapon when confronting their
victim and make demands for their cash.

Your personal safety and security is at stake when using an ATM machine,
here are a couple of tips to make the transaction a little safer.

* Use only ATM Machines in well-lighted, high traffic areas.

* Don’t use ATM machines that are in remote areas or hidden in such away
like behind buildings, behind pillars, walls or away from public view. Beware
of obvious hiding places like shrubbery or overgrown trees.
Robbers like to have the element of surprise and no witnesses.

* If the lights around the ATM machine is not working, stay away, find another
machine.

* as stated earlier, avoid ATM machines next to obvious hiding places.

* Have your card ready and leave quickly, don’t count your cash in public.

* Beware of offers for help from strangers during an ATM transaction.

* Don’t fight with or attempt to follow the robber.

* Drive or walk to a safe place and immediately call the police!

Above all, it pays to know your surroundings and a little planning ahead can
make your night out more enjoyable.

Please remember, the above article are just tips to help keep you safer and make
you more aware of your surrounding.

Join us tomorrow for part 2.

Sincerely,

Trapper

PS…over 40 reports on personal safety and security can be found at
www.personalsafetyebook.com/PPP.html including a
FREE report on ID Theft