Category Archives: Students

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, eBay, Fraud, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property, NMPR, Police, Recipero, Report My Loss, Students, Uncategorized

Check Up before you level up

Sony’s Playstation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox series X had their big reveals recently selling out immediately. For those who aren’t willing to pay thousands of pounds on eBay in a bidding war, it appears that the next best chance to score a system will be on Black Friday. That’s when a number of big-box retailers will make their latest shipments available. 

If you are lucky enough to get one this holiday season and are looking to sell your old gaming system don’t forget to sell with a CheckMEND.com certificate it’s been proven to enhance listings on internet auction and classified sites to get you a much better price. All you need is the serial number to perform a check on CheckMEND to generate a certificate.

If you’re considering buying a second-hand system, on the other hand, you may want to look at a Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS4 Pro, or PS4 Slim, all having plenty of life left, there are bargains to be had. For added peace-of-mind before making a purchase don’t forget to ask the seller or retailer for a copy of a CheckMEND certificate to prove the legitimacy of the system. You may check the certificate’s authenticity free of charge by entering its number at checkmend.com/uk/verify.

Crime, Fraud, Immobilize, Lost Property, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss, Students, Uncategorized

Finder’s keepers poll results

Immobilise asked what people would do if they found a mobile phone left on a cinema seat. Here’s what we found.

We’re pleased to see that 76% of our respondents knew that they should hand it into the cinema’s reception. All public venues will have a policy for handling found property, and when the owner misses their phone, they are likely to assume that the cinema has it somewhere safe.

6% said they’d give it to charity, which is admirable but we’d suggest against it. The old sayings “finders keepers” and “possession is nine-tenths of the law” are actually very wide of the mark. You don’t own what you find, and you can’t legitimately gift things you don’t own, no matter how well-intentioned.

4% said they’d leave it where it is. Perhaps the second-best option but you can’t be sure the next finder will be as honest as you!

The rest of our audience said they’d drop it off at a police station. This one definitely has its place but only if you find something out in the street rather than on some known business premises. Check your local force policy; most will accept found reports online now and are unlikely to physically take found property unless it’s likely to have personal data on it, is dangerous, or is of high value.

Police will usually check Recipero’s systems for registered owners so just in case you become a victim of a loss, make sure to register your property at immobilise.com as soon as possible!

Finders Keepers – Poll Results Infographic – Immobilise.com
Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property, NMPR, Police, Recipero, Students, Uncategorized

It’s National Home Security Month; Time to think about home security!

With the darker nights soon to start drawing in, it’s a good time to think about enhancing your home security. National crime data shows homes without security measures are 5 times more likely to be burgled than those with. We must deter burglars from targeting our precious homes and valuable contents. Taking just a few simple steps can make a huge difference in keeping your home safer.

National Home Security Month, October 2020.

Step 1

Deter burglars and keep your property secure at all time

  • Lock your doors properly. It sounds so simple, but most burglars get in through windows and doors that aren’t appropriately locked or have flimsy mechanisms. Be sure to invest in strong, visible locks.
  • Install an alarm. Nothing puts burglars off more than an alarm going off.
  • Use timers on your light switches and consider getting get a Fake TV product.

Step 2

Remember to lock everything up and keep anything of worth out of sight

  • Keep expensive jewellery in a locked safe
  • Ensure valuables are not on display through windows 
  • Don’t discuss going-away plans on social media. Burglars are likely to live in your surrounding neighbourhood and may even be part of your social network.
  • If you do go away, ask someone you trust if they can check on your property for you and take in your post. 

Step 3

Register on Immobilise, it’s FREE!

  • Register your property at immobilise.com and put warning labels in prominent places such as downstairs windows that let burglars know your property is easily traceable.
  • Once registered, should any of your property be found or recovered, police can easily return it to you.
  • Having a list of everything to hand for an insurance claim is some comfort if you find yourself having to make a claim. 
  • Immobilise offers many affordable and easy to use products to help mark your property, meaning they will become much easier to identify if recovered. Click to visit the Immobilise shop

AssetWatch, CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, ClaimsCheck, Crime, eBay, Fraud, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero, Report My Loss, Students

What can you do to minimise your risk of buying a stolen phone?

It was great to read about successful businesses in this article from the BBC about buying second-hand smartphones. 

Second-hand smartphones are good for the environment and often represent real bargains. As with any used purchase, though it is essential to take steps to protect yourself and minimise the chances of buying a dud. 

A person checking whether a smartphone has a significant used history on CheckMEND.com

Used phones may have been involved in frauds from ID theft involving bogus airtime contracts to fake retailer returns and fraudulent insurance claims.  In addition of course to the all-too-common burglary, robbery, and more serious crimes. 

What can you do to minimise your risk of buying a stolen phone?

  • Always ask the seller for the IMEI and Manufacturer’s serial number of the phone – if they have many units to sell they may not know this until actual despatch. Still, a private or small volume seller should always be able and willing to provide this. 
  • Use the numbers to run a check for yourself at CheckMEND.com. This will let you know if there is any record that the phone is lost, stolen, or the subject of an insurance claim, police report, or corporate ownership that may affect your ability to obtain the legal title. 
  • Better still, ask the seller for a copy of the CheckMEND certificate produced when they first received the phone. The best sellers do this as part of their business routinely and again will be happy to provide it. An advantage here is that you may check the certificate’s authenticity free of charge by entering its number at checkmend.com/uk/verify.
  • Confirm the IMEI and the serial number of the phone that arrives matches what the seller said they were sending. 

In a typical month, traders using CheckMEND avoid buying £35m worth of stolen property. Don’t become the second victim of a phone crime, insist on CheckMEND.

Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, Recipero, Report My Loss, Students

Mobile Phone Security Advice

Phone thieves have a variety of techniques to separate you from your mobile phone. Pickpocketing and ”snatch” theft incidents are quite common. As is accidentally leaving it somewhere only to discover that it had gone upon your return. It’s also risky to leave your phone on display in your car or anywhere else in public unattended.

Immobilise recommends the following advice to give your device the best protection it can get;

Always use a keypad lock
Use the keypad lock so that thieves cannot immediately access your phone or use the biometric authentication if your phone has it (fingerprint or facial recognition).

Install a tracking/anti-theft app
These can be an effective way of seeing exactly where your phone has been taken to and the police trace your phone – which is very useful when catching the thieves who took it.

Register it on Immobilise.com
Register your phone FREE on immobilise.com to help police recover it and combat the sale of stolen goods. UK network operators can also stop a stolen phone from working across their networks with its IMEI – Find your number by dialing *#06# and make sure you log it.

Be cautious
When you’re talking on your phone in public, be aware of your surroundings. When storing your phone, don’t just slip it into your jeans pocket or leave it on view in a public place where it may get unwanted attention.

Get insured. 
Replacing a mobile phone can be a costly business and only a third of phone owners have insurance. It’s a sensible idea and a small price to pay for better peace of mind.

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property, Police, Students

immobilise Garden & Shed Security tips

With the good weather and the longer daylight hours. Now is a great time to assess your garden and shed for vulnerabilities and make improvements. Taking just a few steps can make a huge difference in keeping your home safer. Here are a few of Immobilise’s top tips;

1. Make sure your garden tools and equipment are put away every evening – and secure your shed with a good lock.
2. Security mark all property in sheds, garages and outbuildings, registering ownership FREE on immobilise.com
3. Trim hedges to limit hiding places and even plant some defensive shrubs around the perimeter fences.
4. Ensure garden items such as wheelie bins or furniture cannot be easily used to gain access.
5. Install a motion sensor floodlight and even better CCTV and/or an alarm with a visible box on the exterior of the house.

For more information on garden and shed security visit https://www.immobilise.com/ar…/garden-and-shed-home-security

Bicycles, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, Police, Recipero, Students

Immobilise Bike Security & Awareness

It’s officially UK Bike Week and we hope you’re enjoying getting out and about on your bicycles. With authorities encouraging us to cycle to work, as a leisure activity or for fitness more of us are cycling than ever. Bicycles are seen as high-value targets by thieves, be sure follow some basic security advice to protect your bike;

  1. Buy the best-approved lock you can afford, preferably a D-Lock – and remember 2 locks are better than one!
  2. Pick wisely where you lock your bike, in a secure well-lit observable area. 
  3. Lock your bike to something secure.
  4. Remove accessories.
  5. Give your bike a unique ID and register it FREE on www.immobilise.com
http://www.immobilise.com

For more bicycle security advice go to: https://www.immobilise.com/articles/bikesecurity

Stay safe and happy cycling.

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, Police, Students

Back to school… With £3.2 billion worth of tech

Schoolimage1When the school gates opened for the new term, its estimated that under 16s’ bags contained over £3.2 billion worth of tech – a staggering average in excess of £270 per school bag*. Such high values intensify issues associated with loss and theft requiring students to be ever more cautious.

To stay safe and secure we recommend …

  • Students shouldn’t leave their smartphones, cameras, iPods and tablets unattended, and when not in use they should be kept secure in a locked bag or locker.
  • Don’t show off expensive devices, especially in public spaces. Children and young teenagers make easy targets for unscrupulous thieves.
  • Ensure gadgets are registered on Immobilise,  recording the make, model,  and any serial codes but most importantly for smartphones the IMEI number – for mobiles just key in *#06#  on the handset to display the IMEI.
  • Bicycles should be kept in the school’s designated areas and secured with a D-lock to an immovable object such as ground mounted loop. Don’t forget to register the bike on Immobilise and consider enhancing the registration with an ImmobiTag RFID tag.

* Statistics sourced from USwitch Survey: USwitch

This post is an extract from our regular email updates that contain other crime prevention tips and topical news along side special offers and discounts on items in our Immobilise property marking and security products. (Go to: https://shop.immobilise.com/)

To subscribe please update the preferences in your Immobilise account: https://www.immobilise.com/login 

Bicycles, Immobilise, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, Police, Report My Loss, Students

Police teach students how to deter thieves

Avon & Somerset Police are offering students advice on how to deter thieves this week as part of Operation Relentless, keeping you safe.

On Sunday September 16 2012 3,000 students arriving at the University of the West of England were given advice on keeping themselves and their property safe by university-based PC Matt Holloway.

For the rest of the week, PC Holloway will be giving students the chance to register their laptops, phones, bikes and other valuables on www.immobilise.com as part of Relentless, keeping you safe.

Neighbourhood Inspector Bob Evely said:

Registering your property for free on the immobilise website, along with marking it with your postcode, is known to deter thieves. They know that we will be able to prove the item has been stolen and identify the rightful owner. UWE students wanting help with registering their property can contact PC Holloway at the police post at the university. Of course nothing beats making sure you lock your doors and windows and never leaving your laptop or other valuables on display in your car.

Avon & Somerset Police also recommend installing security software on phones and computers which can help trace your property if it is stolen. For more security advice visit their website, www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

 

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, Police, Report My Loss, Students

Oxford police in plea to register bicycles

The BBC has reported that Police in Oxford are urging residents to register their bikes so they can be traced if they are stolen.

According to the BBC between June and August, 837 bikes were taken in the city – a rise of 141 compared to the same period in 2010.

Sgt Matt Sulley from Oxford police station said bike theft was a huge problem and returning cycles to their owners was the biggest issue.

He said if cycles are registered at immobilise.com police can easily identify the original owners.

In Oxford, Thames Valley Police are currently holding hundreds of bikes.

Sgt Sulley said the large number of cycles in Oxford made thefts a particular problem.

He said that also the large portion of old-style houses in the city meant it was difficult for people to access gardens and sheds to properly secure their bikes.

He added:

There are also criminals making a business out of it. Lots of bikes are being stolen and then stripped for parts which makes them very difficult to trace.

We have also seen a number of very expensive bikes, worth thousands of pounds, locked up with cheap locks.

Between 5 and 25 September 2011 neighbourhood policing teams will be at key locations in Oxford advising people about ways to protect their property.

To read the source BBC story please visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-14760978

To visit Thames Valley Police go to: http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/