# Breach of OPSEC - WARNING



## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Thought I'd pop back over here to warn you of something ridiculously simple that I didn't think about until it happened to me.

Last night I had my truck broken into and a few things stolen. Nothing major. All in all about $150-200 worth of stuff. The radio, a GPS, a couple of power cords, and a maglite.

The big problem was the GPS unit. It is a TOMTOM which has a feature on it called "home". You set your address in it and then from anywhere else in the world you can press that button and it will guide you back home. 

DON'T leave these devices laying around. Mine is now in the hands of known criminals and thieves. I have no idea whose hands it will ultimately wind up in.

I don't want to hear any crap about how I should have thought about this beforehand. OF COURSE I should have thought of it. It was a major oversight on my part and I'm trying to help those of you who use these devices not make it as well.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Sorry for your loss. We have two GPS units in our vehicles. On mine I clear the data often and don't have 'home' set. I think the other one does. When we are in town we remove these units from view.

Just because someone now has your home address, it does not make you an easy target. Most probably they will wipe it clean as soon as they got it so that the evidence of where it came from was destroyed.


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## BamaSpek (Aug 15, 2008)

ouch,..... I assume it was'nt broken into at home. Never thought about the GPS thing. Good heads up. 

I hate thieves...I'd rather you walk up and kick me in the twins, than sneak around and steal form me. At least give me a fighting chance. Maybe if they show up at the house you'll be able to put a foot in their


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Guess that is one of the advantages of living here. Put the addy in the GPS and you won't wind up at my place.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Sorry to hear about that. What are your security plans now in light of this ? 

Same could be said for the contact list in cell phones. I routinely put in people's addys. 
Hubby has a nasty habit of leaving his pharmacy bag on the front seat which has a label stating name & address. No narcodics but still. 
20 years ago I use to keep my work i.d. badge on my key ring. Yeah you guessed I was also listed in the phone book. Use to looe those keys @ least once a month. 
We quit keeping regs. & insurance paperwork in the glove compartment. Keep it under the spare in a zip lock bag in the hatch. Have only had one traffic stop explained were we keep it. Trooper walked me back to the hatch. Explained that we have alot of theft in my hood. He said interesting solution.

~~ pelenaka ~~


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## crispin (Jun 30, 2010)

I wouldnt worry about it.
I love the HOME feature and use it all the time.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Thanks for sharing that information. Something for us to think about.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

We're dinosaurs - we don't have a GPS. But Ernie's lesson is a good one to share with my elderly inlaws. They have GPS and I'm sure they have "home" programmed in to it.

Sorry for your troubles, Ernie!


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## mldollins (Jun 21, 2008)

I know of several of my friends have had the same issue. Locked doors mean nothing. They will kick a window without a problem if they see something in your vehicle. The best defense I have found out is to lock your doors and make your car appear empty. Opportunists are what 99% of the thieves are. They are looking for unlocked vehicles for one. If they see a purse, wallet, computer, they will consider kicking in a window.

If your door is locked and nothing can be visually seen, they won't mess with it...too much of a risk for zero reward. In fact, I have never heard of a case where someone kicked in a window when there was nothing visual.

And...it will only get worse.


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Thanks Ernie and sorry about your loss. I've never ever considered this. My home waypoint will be deleted.


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## donewithcity (Sep 9, 2010)

Maybe one should set "home" to be the local police department. :grin:


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Having "Home" programmed in as well as a bunch of "Favorites" just doesn't make a lot of sense...As DW said "You don't know where your favorite places are??"


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## mldollins (Jun 21, 2008)

You could make home city hall or the center of your community...just an idea.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

My GPS is between my ears.


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## Ack226 (Nov 30, 2009)

Many GPS units also have a "recently found" list that remembers addresses you've entered in. You have to watch out for that too. Ours has an option to use a PIN code. When you turn the unit on you have to enter the correct 4 digit code or it won't work. We use the home and the favorites feature, but if the unit is ever stolen the thieves won't be able to see them because they won't get past the PIN code screen.

Another option is to just set "home" to a nearby intersection. Once you're there you should know the way home anyway, but it's useless to thieves.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Although a valid point on the GPS, most glove boxes also contain your registration and insurance info, which would also have your name, home address and maybe some other valuable info such as home phone number, DOB and SS #.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Sorry for your loss Ernie.

I don't have gps on anything. The one time I had access to one was a joke. We were up at 12K at Elk Camp, and a fella had his gps out showing all the features. I had him plot a route to where I'd been the day before. It showed going on a roundabout route that carried you down a meanie of a canyon wall. If I'd depended on it to get me 'home' after dark, I'd probably still be lodged into some boulders at the bottom.

If I did have a gps, and it was stolen out of the truck, and they decided they'd like to visit "Home", they'd either be indentured servants or hog chow, or maybe both (slave first, then hog chow). Hopefully, they'd 'sneak' up in a nice diesel pickup truck.... I could always use a spare. 

Talking about regular home. Now if "home" was my unattended bug-out location stocked with provisions, yes, I'd be nervousome. In that case, I'd have to de-supply the BOL, and set some nifty man snares, of one ilk or another.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Ernie said:


> Thought I'd pop back over here to warn you of something ridiculously simple that I didn't think about until it happened to me.
> 
> Last night I had my truck broken into and a few things stolen. Nothing major. All in all about $150-200 worth of stuff. The radio, a GPS, a couple of power cords, and a maglite.
> 
> ...


I never thought of that......
I am so sorry this happened to you, but I am grateful that you cared enough to share it with us.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Glad I posted. Some valuable discussion in this thread. Some points I've gleaned so far:

1. Set your GPS to a nearby location instead of "home". Getting you back to ten miles within your home area should be enough. (It's enough for me, anyway.)

2. Keep your registration and insurance info in your wallet or purse, not your glove box.

A GPS is invaluable to me since I travel so frequently. And having at least a nearby location to get home is also invaluable. I keep some of the addresses of my friends in it, but I don't have them listed in such a fashion that they could be identified easily or as a home address. 

I went up and reviewed the security tape from the auto mechanic's where it was burglarized. Seems I made a SECOND major security error and had left the doors unlocked, which is what allowed the opportunistic thief access. There was a nice car right next to my beat up old truck which the guy didn't get into. He wasn't willing to smash a window. He's also a rank amateur. He didn't bring a flashlight but used the one he stole from me. It took him almost a half hour to figure out how to get the stereo out. I'm lucky in that regard. A pro would have used a prybar and destroyed the dash in the process. He didn't even cut the wires. It won't take 15 minutes to put a new stereo back in.

The thief was a young kid driving a nice new car and wearing clean, serviceable clothing. He had apparently only stopped behind the mechanic's at 2:38am on his way home from the bars in order to urinate. He then saw the two cars and decided to try the door handles. Luckily he found that this foolish old potato farmer had left the doors unlocked. He got a GPS, a radio, a maglite, and a handful of gospel CD's. He left a pair of jackets, part of my bugout kit, and a brand new pair of boots. Looks like he was just grabbing stuff he wanted to use himself. 

The police say it's not probable that they'll catch him right away, but they said someone with such poor thievery skills will likely get caught in a month or so and then they'll use the videotape to get a confession out of him and rack up probably a dozen different burglary charges. 

So not likely to be any further problems from this event, and I'm only out about $200 which is minimal. I can even replace all the losses by visiting one store. Easy peasy. Tuition in the school of life. I'm just passing it along so you can hopefully learn from my mistakes which earns us all more value for that tuition.


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## jlrbhjmnc (May 2, 2010)

We don't use gps, but have seen it be very useful for friends in certain occupations. DD and SIL do use one, however. Many thanks for the lesson!

Sorry this happened to you guys, Ernie . Glad the latest information looks like you probably don't have an opsec problem (unless your amateur thief decides to sell the gps).


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

HAHAHA Don't you just love that he got your gospel CD's? Maybe they'll teach him a thing or 2.
Yup, I'd say pretty cheap tuition considering...
Thank you for posting for the rest of us to learn from it too.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

Like Wyld Thang posted - my GPS is in my head.. I have an older one, that I use for determining elevation only, or if I need an exact Lat/ Long position fix.

How did folks manage with just a map and compass, before they sold GPS items??

My vehicle registrations, drivers license, and other items all have my PO Box on them as my address, so no worry about unwanted visits from a thief.

When I had caught at gunpoint and red-handed in the act, the burglar/ thief that had broken into my locked 4X4 vehicle that was parked in a building at the old place. He broke out a window, ripped apart my dash/ and plastic interior door panel trying to get the stereo/ speakers out, and it was less damage caused than was covered by my deductable on my vehicle insurance at the time. He was arrested by the Sheriff's Deputy. Yet no charges were brought by the County DA's Office, since he was considered "5150" (Looney Tunes). But not crazy enough, to not follow my instructions while holding him at gunpoint.

Even up here on the hilltop, I always lock the doors of my house and vehicles when I am not right there. 
Of course - locks only keep honest people honest..


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Thanks for the heads up, I'll have to pass it along to Mom and Pop who want to get a GPS. They keep threatening to buy me one but I tell them the first time it says "recalculating" with that snotty attitude it'll go out the window. 

Sorry about your losses. Thieves suck. 

As for the registration giving the name and address of the owner, I waited to renew my tags because of a new law which prohibits the BMV from putting your personal info on the copy you keep in the car. Since Aug 9, 2010 Ohio has been giving auto owners 2 copies of the registration. The one with your name and addy stays home, the other goes in your vehicle. A lot of insurance companies no longer put your phone or address on your insurance card. Makes it safer for people who do leave that info in the vehicle as required by state law.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

Cyngbaeld said:


> Guess that is one of the advantages of living here. Put the addy in the GPS and you won't wind up at my place.


Same here, it stops several houses away from us. We don't have a GPS, so I don't have to worry about mine getting stolen.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

radiofish said:


> Like Wyld Thang posted - my GPS is in my head.. I have an older one, that I use for determining elevation only, or if I need an exact Lat/ Long position fix.
> 
> How did folks manage with just a map and compass, before they sold GPS items??
> 
> ...


we have bigger hypocampus-es 

and hippocampus-es will grow with use

or, use it or lose it


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

wyld thang said:


> we have bigger hypocampus-es
> 
> and hippocampus-es will grow with use
> 
> or, use it or lose it


Yeah right. In the past 2 years I've logged over 100,000 miles from coast to coast in my truck traveling routes I've never been before. If I decide to use a GPS for the convenience then that's my business, not yours, and your attitude is for the birds. Really? You're going to pretend you're smarter than someone else because you don't need a GPS? What's next? You're going to brag about how tough you are because you don't use potholders in your kitchen? 

It's like you saw a carpenter using a hammer and you foolishly stated "Ha! What a wimp! I use my head to drive in nails!"


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> we have bigger hypocampus-es
> 
> and hippocampus-es will grow with use
> 
> or, use it or lose it


You can't *remember *what you don't already know

A GPS can TELL you things you don't know


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Ernie said:


> Yeah right. In the past 2 years I've logged over 100,000 miles from coast to coast in my truck traveling routes I've never been before. If I decide to use a GPS for the convenience then that's my business, not yours, and your attitude is for the birds. Really? You're going to pretend you're smarter than someone else because you don't need a GPS? What's next? You're going to brag about how tough you are because you don't use potholders in your kitchen?
> 
> It's like you saw a carpenter using a hammer and you foolishly stated "Ha! What a wimp! I use my head to drive in nails!"


ha, actually I do grab hot dogs off the grill, or chicken breasts out of the pan with my bare hands, or move wood in the fire. so your point is...I have more calluses?

A few of us were just pointing out what our experience has been using a GPS for the applications we bought it for. The hippocampus reference was in regards to a NOVA(I think) show wherein they compared the size of people's hippocampuses--that is the place in the brain where you hold maps--and London cabbies(part of the groups they studied) had HUGE hippocampuses. The hippo-gifted also eschewed GPS's, they were simply good at remembering routes, plus all the variables(construction, traffic patterns). And guess what, people who were directionally deficient had teeny hippos. And with learning routes the hippos grew(ie, you CAN reboot a flaccid hippo, yay!).

Sure GPS works fine for you in the destinations you plug in. But for other people it still is wise to cultivate a sense of direction, a way to hold a map of where you've been in your head, the ability to read a map and plot a route, or even just retain that latent tracking of where the sun is in the sky.

And you're gonna dis the birds? I'm pretty impressed with birds, they migrate thousands of miles between freakin HEMISPHERES to particular and precise nesting and feeding grounds--without a GPS(and we still don't know exactly how they do it). So yeah, I can learn from a bird. 

I don't recall anyone saying you were dumb for using a GPS--discussion of one's personal utility of GPS is a natural result of free flowing conversation. Now leaving your doors unlocked with valuables inside, no comment.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

I dunno, as a thief all it would tell me is that the GPS came from a place that was already robbed..


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## JuliaAnn (Dec 7, 2004)

Hi Erine, glad to see you posted again. Sorry to hear about the break in and theft. Hope you can get another unit soon, and that the perp is caught. We've had a couple of events in the past we didn't take into consideration... guess it's learning the hard way, but boy, we make sure to never repeat those mistakes.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

Sorry about your truck getting broken into. I've had it happen 3 times in the past and it left me feeling violated .... and nervous because the registration papers DO have my name and address on it.



Ernie said:


> There was a nice car right next to *my beat up old truck* which the guy didn't get into.


One good thing about you driving a beater, most thieves will take that as an indication that you're poor and have nothing at home worth stealing.

.


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## Win07_351 (Dec 7, 2008)

Sorry to hear about that Ernie. I once lost several hundred $$ in tools when I left my old pickup unlocked.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

I have literally driven all over the lower US, all 48 of them by using a paper road atlas. I have thought about getting on but to me it's easier to just look on the map than programing a gps. We also have an atlas of Texas and it gives all the back roads. Sure is handy.


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## Dutch 106 (Feb 12, 2008)

Hi Guys,
I had a friend go thru your problem, Ernie a while back sorry I didn't think to post it it might have helped.
Being a inveterate smart aleck I put my home town cop shop in as home on my mapping box.
As was said above if you get to your home town, you can find your way home.
And these little mapping boxs are very helpful I've noticed a small noisy group who won't use them Ernie, these seem to be the same group whos VCR's are blinking 12 !
Luddites the bunch of em.
I also use the mapper to pinpoint location for when I'm filling gold claims, just to let you know how accurate the fool things have gotten.

Cheers,
Dutch


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

Thanks for posting this, I have reset my GPS home location to our main st in the nearest town.


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## Rainy (Jan 21, 2010)

I am so sorry that they took your things. Hope they are found soon.
Will also pass this information along to hubby. He wants one of those and we had no clue about how they could be set or whatever. Thank you.
Also its very nice to see you here. Missed your posts.


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## Gottabenutz (May 11, 2010)

Another idea for folks who do have GPS or other expensive items in their vehicle is to etch some identifying mark in them. That makes them easily ID'd if they how up at pawn shop or found on the thief. The thief could never ID the GPS as having "Merry Christmas 2009" or something like that etched on the back, but you sure could. Also keeping a photo of the device and serial number (if it has one) at home so you can also identify it for police. I've had lots of things stolen; and gotten most back with those tips.


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

there was a discussion on this at work a couple of weeks ago one guy raving about what a wonderful feature "home" is on his gps. i kept my mouth shut but giving thieves a road map to the rest of your stuff was on my mind. too many sheeple where i work. i did thought about setting "home" somewhere reasonably close like main street in town, you would probably know your way from there to your place but the bad guys probably don't.


dean


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Sorry Ernie....but thanks for sharing. I have also wondered about my smart phone....I have a GPS thing in it and it indicates "home". Or rather - it did. I replaced the address with the local police station. Good hint!!!


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Sort of on topic - I read an account of someone who had their purse stolen - including their cell phone and wallet. The person who took/found it *texted* the "spouse" or "home" number asking for the PIN number for their ATM card, claiming they've forgotten it. The husband sent the PIN and the account was drained.

Hubby and I now have a code word for anything dealing with finances, PINs, passwords, etc. We have another code word that signals "duress" in case we're being robbed. That way we're sure who the texts are from before we give info, and perhaps we can call cops if one of us is being held hostage.


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

I remember reading somewhere that a woman had her van stolen while at a soccer game with her kids. The thief used the "home" feature, and when got to the house used the garage door opener to get into the garage. The woman had left the interior door from the garage to her house unlocked, and the thief was able to gain access to the house easily and undeterred.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Where has Ernie been lately?


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

I dont know, this was the last thread where he posted.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Ernie has either decided to post elsewhere, or is taking a leave of absence from HT/internet forums.

I think he's concentrating on his preps and staying aware.


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

AngieM2 said:


> Ernie has either decided to post elsewhere, or is taking a leave of absence from HT/internet forums.
> 
> I think he's concentrating on his preps and staying aware.


Maybe he has school work... Isn't he going to collage?


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

I found this message on his profile page. It is dated 10/10/10:



> I no longer frequent this forum. It's just a mail drop for me.
> 
> The time has passed for the convincing of others. It's now time to prepare for what's coming.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I was just thinking about him the other day. He closed his Facebook account and now he's dropped out of here? I hope he's ok!


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Ernie and I didn't always agree, but I had a great deal of respect for his straightforward consistency and for his well-thought out responses.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Yes, he closed his facebook a while before dropping out.

According to what I know, he is watching things ramp up and we were not focused enough on what is happening in the world and government - he has frustrations and living what he believes. 

I hope he drops in from time to time. I miss his postings, also.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

AngieM2 said:


> Yes, he closed his facebook a while before dropping out.
> 
> According to what I know, he is watching things ramp up and we were not focused enough on what is happening in the world and government - *he has frustrations and living what he believes. *
> 
> I hope he drops in from time to time. I miss his postings, also.


A perfect example of that straightforward consistency that I was referring to... I have a lot of respect for people who manage to match their walk to their talk.... Always.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Sorry for your misfortune. I hope they catch him. I can't stand a thief and the damage and worry they leave in their wake.

Good Luck, Ernie.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Ernie may be going through with the "Brown Man" strategy...

Ernie, if you poke back in here from an anonymous computer, good luck!


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## cast iron (Oct 4, 2004)

Mom_of_Four said:


> Hubby and I now have a code word for anything dealing with finances, PINs, passwords, etc. We have another code word that signals "duress" in case we're being robbed. That way we're sure who the texts are from before we give info, and perhaps we can call cops if one of us is being held hostage.


Good idea, I'm going to talk to my wife and son about this. Determining the 'code word' should be interesting.  I assume you use the same word if needed when in a voice conversation over the phone?


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## blufford (Nov 23, 2004)

You could list a local pond in your (GPS) favorites as "Underwater Gold Stash." And then while their scuba diving you could steal your GPS back.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

I'm sorry someone did that to you Ernie


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## HTWannabee (Jan 19, 2007)

I have the HOME feature on my GPS set to a local church in town. That gets me close enough to home and them to a better place if they are lucky! Another idea is to set it for the local police station. 

Ernie, so sorry to hear about the theft.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Never thought of the "home" feature....thanks! 

DH and I are looking at getting lock boxes for our cars (the kind for hand guns that latch to your seat). Yes, the cable could be cut and it could be removed, but the "bad guy" has to think to look first. It's more secure then the glove box and there are time when taking whatever with you won't work. It would be a place to stash the GPS, an emergency $20 I like to keep in the car, and any other such item.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Wayne02 said:


> Good idea, I'm going to talk to my wife and son about this. Determining the 'code word' should be interesting.  I assume you use the same word if needed when in a voice conversation over the phone?


If we need to ask financial information and we're not being robbed and nobody has hijacked our phones, we use the name of a former pet to reassure the other one. "Fluffy forgot the ATM code again." If we are under duress, we use other names for each other. "Frank, I forgot our ATM code again." when his name is Ralph, etc. Our codes are a little different than this but you get the idea. And we do use the same codes with voice calls and texts.


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## TexasAggie (Apr 24, 2010)

Ernie said:


> Glad I posted. Some valuable discussion in this thread. Some points I've gleaned so far:
> 
> 1. Set your GPS to a nearby location instead of "home". Getting you back to ten miles within your home area should be enough. (It's enough for me, anyway.)
> 
> ...


Another thing for OPSEC: don't leave garage door openers outside. My DW know a friend who left his old PU outside with a garage door opener, they broke into the PU, used the garage door opener, and stole a 2009 new car (This happened last yr).


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