Scams, car prowls, computer theft come under purview of security

General Article

Jack Cusack, manager of security for the Hutch, calls attention to the ongoing efforts of his department and police agencies throughout Puget Sound to thwart crime in several areas:

Common scams

• A recent e-mail scam purports to be a secret international money-laundering scheme. The writer of the e-mail message says his Ministry of Trade & Industry has a huge sum ($24.5 million or $27.5 million, depending on the version) raised from supplying and installing medical equipment suspended in a Nigerian bank account. The message offers to pay a sizeable amount ($3 million or 25 percent of the total, depending on the version) in exchange for information about and access to the receiver's bank account. "For the maintenance of personal integrity and prestige of all persons involved," the transaction must be confidential, the message says.
  
  
• A recent scam is in the form of a mailed one-page solicitation for a $2,495 subscription to a telecom analysts newsletter. While small print identifies the solicitation as such, its appearance is that of an invoice, and it is sent directly to an institution's accounting office in the hope that it will slip by and be automatically paid. The official-looking contact information for the person who "ordered" the service is obtained from the institution's Web site.
  
  
• Credit cards are the target of another scam, in which a thief, posing as an employee, takes one credit card from a purse, as it's not likely that a single credit card would be missed. The thief notices the phone extension of the purse owner and immediately goes to a pay phone, telephones the owner and states that the owner's PIN number has been given to two people in error. The thief asks the owner to write down a new PIN number but first asks for the owner's "old" PIN number. Cusack recommends locking personal effects at all times.

Car thefts

• Cusack said that in the past 14 months, three vehicles have been stolen from the Day Campus, including one stolen while the owner was calling 911. In that period, five stolen and stripped cars have been abandoned on the campus. He said car theft is a citywide problem, and he warns that thieves can "jimmy" a car-door lock in less than a minute. There is no pattern to the targeted cars, as the stolen vehicles have not been limited to recent models. The thefts tend to be on the perimeter of the campus, but newly installed security cameras should reduce the incidence of car thefts, he said.

Theft of unopened computers

• It's a fairly common occurrence around the Hutch: A large box, usually containing computer equipment, is delivered to a department or program, but there isn't enough room to store it in an office or lab, so it sits in the hallway. There, it provides a temptation for thieves. Cusack encourages any such items to be secured at all times, but particularly in the evening hours. If you see an item that appears to have been unclaimed and misdelivered, call Hutch security.

Phone harassment

• Cusack said the Center is working with the Qwest (formerly US West) security office to respond quickly to complaints of harassment or annoyance by phone. Traces can be placed on a phone quickly to aid in the apprehension and prosecution of those making such calls, he said. In the past 14 months, three vehicles have been stolen from the Day Campus, including one stolen while the owner was calling 911. There is no pattern to the targeted cars, as the stolen vehicles have not been limited to recent models.

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