Regarding the recent blog post about possible cyber-snooping in the neighborhood, our system experienced problems with our printer/fax beginning approximately at the time of the reported activity. The LAN address of the printer had been changed. We could not print anymore whereas it was working fine the day before. I suspect that the printer, a Brother, is not immune from hacking even if the network to which it is connected is immune or is inactive. This printer has an replicas relojes suizos automatic sleep mode when it is inactive. repliche orologi italiaIt should not respond to commands sent by any other network (and has not since installed about 1-1/2 yrs ago). But, one does not know for certain how secure it is.

There are many LANs in this area that can be accessed including the Puyallup Police and other similar sites. My computer easily identifies them while booting-up.

As most people in this area do, we have a modem/WLAN. It is password protected but I am not assured that it is hacker-proof. Comcast does not disclose the extent to which these modems are safe from intrusion. Some WLANs can be set to allow anonymous log-in or access by any or all visitors/contacts. Many businesses and restaurants do this as a “service” to patrons. This feature/option of personal modem should be disabled! Otherwise your modem/WLAN is a patek philippe imitacion potential gateway to your internet and no telling what else…

The best security policy is to have a personal firewall, password protect your computers or other network-connected devices and never leave your computer or other networked device on and network-connected when not in use.

Yesterday Rod Okazaki came over and asked about a car he heard acting strangely at around 0250hrs. This morning I received an e-mail from Dav Eide on the same subject.  Just a while ago I received a phone call from Rod asking me to check around 0145hrs this morning because he was certain he had heard the same car come down 117th St. again.

Reviewing the pictures I found the car in question.  It appeared that the passenger had a laptop and that they were cruising around looking for unsecured WiFi signals.  This same car was seen at 0250hrs on the 27th and again at 0145hrs on the 28th. On the 28th it stopped on 136th Ave. E. just before it got to 11728, backed up to around 11734, then left the area.  If you do not have a secure password for your WiFi you may get hacked by these people.  We could not get a license plate shot because they appeared to have some sort of blocking which made it impossible for our license plate camera to get a clear picture of the plate.  Dav and I will be searching for a way to defeat this kind of blocking in the future.

While I was searching the pictures I observed a vehicle at 0305hrs stop at  the mailboxes across from Wayne Flood’s house. The passenger got out and walked to the mailboxes.  At first I thought it was a mail thief, but after careful examination of the pictures I believe it was the morning paper being delivered.  However – remember not to leave mail in your mailbox overnight.  If you are going to be away have someone pick up your mail or stop it at the Post Office. 

This morning 25 July 2017 I received an e-mail I thought I needed to share with the Neighborhood for two reasons. (1) One of our neighbors reported a woman openly smoking crack beside the road, and the police did not respond. (2) I would like to find out if anyone took down the license plate number of the maroon Dodge pickup the fellow was using to dump trash from.  If you know the license number or know anything more about either incident, please let me know by commenting on this post or e-mailing me.

Hi Kirk, I just wanted to let you know that on Saturday morning around 10:30 there was a middle aged blonde woman sitting on the side of the road on Military between 137 and 136 smoking crack I called the police, no one came but she was eventually picked up by someone she knew!

Then this morning while out for a walk around 6:45 there was a maroon Dodge pickup at the top of Military dumping a 5 gallon black metal drum, 2 cars stopped and watched him. I’m not sure if they got his license plate, but returned a few minutes later and retrieved the drum. Glad those neighbors stopped and watched him. Anyways this is just a FYI for everyone to keep your eyes open.

The title of this piece is the first words I heard from a message on my answering machine. The voice continued to instruct me that a warrant had been issued for my arrest and I was under observation. Unless I called the number at the end of the message immediately I was subject to arrest.

My action?  I immediately brought up the NOMOROBO Internet site and reported the number.  Then I logged into the IRS site and made a report of the call.

Folks the IRS does not issue an arrest warrant, and THEN call you. So if you get a similar call, report it immediately. DO NOT RESPOND TO THE CALL. The information displayed for my call was West Jeffers OH  614-349-9741.

My Computer Consultant asked me to alert my friends to a NEW SCAM.

Your phone rings (usually but not limited to cell phones). There is usually a delay and some noise like the caller is having trouble with a headset.  A voice asks “Can you hear me now?”  The normal response is to say “Yes”.  DO NOT SAY “YES”!

The caller has information from your credit card and is recording you saying “Yes”.  Or he has several other things in mind, from selling you a resort time share, to a cruise to services you do not want. He then charges your credit card and when you dispute the charge, he plays a supposed tape from your “call” to him in which he ask if you agree to the charges and your voice is heard saying “Yes”. Your credit card company then drops the complaint and you are on the hook for the fraudulent charge.

Remember –   If the voice on the phone says “Can you hear me now”, HANG UP – Do not reply.

For further information type “Can you hear me scam” into your web browser and read the articles there.

NOTE: Just before I started writing this article I sent an e-mail to several friends advising them about this scam.  A friend in Australia replied that she forwarded my e-mail to one of her friends in Boston, who received a “Can you hear me” call just afterward –  and promptly hung up.  Score one for us!

I just learned about a break in which happened at 12427 137^th Ave. E. on 29 Dec 2016 between 9 and 10AM.  The thieves broke a window in the dining room to get into the house.  They also broke into the workshop.

The police were helped by a landscape gardener and a neighbor of the homeowner supplying video from his security cameras and pictures of a red VW Jetta.  Unfortunately they were unable to make out the license plate number.  The neighbor noticed the car because it was driving slowly and turned into his driveway, possibly because his garage door was open.  The driver turned around when he noticed a person standing outside by her car.

Police were helped because the thieves left clear fingerprints on the victim’s outside window and sliding door.  The fingerprints were in the police fingerprint system. The victim’s alarm system helped alert another neighbor.

Police arrested Joshua Adam Kaelin and Michael James Taylor two weeks later.  Charges have been filed and a court date scheduled for 8 March 2017.  Unfortunately none of the items taken in the burglary have been found.