Skimming has been around for a few years. But until now it’s mostly been practiced at gas stations and remote ATMs. Today, it’s everywhere and growing. Skimming has become the identity theft of choice for many crooks. You have a one-in-five chance of being a victim; losses will total about $1 billion this year. Other forms of identity theft include dumpster diving, and phishing. Skimming generates far quicker and richer rewards for suspects, who essentially gain immediate access to cardholder bank accounts.

When suspects tamper with debit-card processing equipment at the point of sale, they insert a tiny device into the store equipment that enables them to read the magical magnetic strip on the debit card as it was swiped. Evidently, a pinhole camera is installed nearby which records customers PIN numbers as they are entered.

Technology has advanced to where miniscule cameras and card reading devices are virtually undetectable. Some devices allow criminals to download the information stored on skimming devices remotely without even having to retrieve the device. You might consider just using a credit card, which has greater protections.

1. Cover your PIN. Your bankcard won’t work without the PIN. Thieves usually obtain the PIN with a small camera stationed near the card processor. So keep an eye out for anything that seems out of place. It might be a camera. In any event, shield the keypad with your body or free hand when entering your PIN.

2. Be selective with your ATM. Again, look for anything out of place such as wires, tape, and hardware. If so, call the banks phone number to report the suspicious findings and use another ATM. Use an ATM inside a bank whenever possible. Stay away from ATMs in remote locations or appear seldom used. These are easy to tamper with and might even be dummy cash machines.

3. Leave some wiggle room. When you insert your card, wiggle it while it’s in the slot. If something seems loose, there might be theft device attached to the swipe hardware. Wiggling the card might jar the theft device from its hiding place.

4. Monitor your accounts. One of the best protections against continued use of your stolen information is to check bank statements regularly. With a debit card, you may be responsible for the first $50 and you must report theft within two business days of discovery and no later than 60 days after the theft for protection. Credit cards have more protections and might be a better choice if you have any reservations about an ATM or processing machine.

5. Look for security cameras. ATMs and gas pumps that are under video surveillance and have cameras aimed directly at the card readers are less likely to be fitted with card-skimming equipment.

6. Keep an eye on your card. When you give your card to a waiter or clerk, be skeptical of any request to swipe it through multiple devices or if they must leave your sight.

7. Be aware at gas stations. Gas stations are among the most prone to skimming. Use a credit card or choose the credit option on your bankcard.

Contact: Detective Sandra Stone
714.990.7189
Fax: 714.990.7164
E-mail: sstone@cityofbrea.net
1 CIVIC CENTER CIRCLE – BREA, CA 92821

Financial Crime Trends June 1, 2011 Skimming

The 1st Annual 5k Walk for Cystic Fibrosis and Team Montelone will be held on Saturday, April 30th at East Lake Village, Yorba Linda! The Montelone family is the son and daughter-in-law of our East Lake Shore’s neighbors, Ann and Tom Moore. The Montelones have 5 children, 3 of which have cystic fibrosis and we’re getting together as a community to help raise funds to help find a cure for this very dreadful disease.

It’s not about the distance, it’s about the awareness and participation. Please join us to support this wonderful family and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for a three mile walk around the lake for a foundation that receives no government funding for research for the dreadful disease. If you don’t know a lot about CF, please visit: http://www.cff.org/AboutCF/
CysticFibrosisRegistrationFlyer

IRON CROSS FOUNDATION FUNDRAISERS

This coming Tuesday, March 15, Chili’s in Yorba Linda, will continue to support The Iron Cross Foundation by donating 15 % of all food sales to the organization.  (The attached flyer must be presented for donation!)  The fundraiser will go all day from 11 am to 10 pm.  All of the proceeds support programs to help raise awareness of substance and alcohol abuse.
To view and print the flyer, go to:  http://www.horton4yl.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/IronCrossUpdated.pdf

In Addition, they are hosting a yard sale on March 26 starting at 7am, located at 4681 Torida way, Yorba Linda. if you have items you would like to donate, please contact Kate Walters. See info below. And then on March 26, bring your friends and shop for a good cause!
For more information about the THE IRON CROSS FOUNDATION for Drug Awareness,  Non-profit Organization I.D. #26-0895061 and the programs they support, please contact: Kate Walters – Foundation Coordinator: IronCrossFound@aol.com

I will use this post as a way for you to let us all know where the best decorted homes are located! I love seeing all the different ways we decorate our homes. I know you do too!

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah!!

We have all grown weary of the hit pieces from the Anderson/Lindsey City Council campaign. I personally have chosen not to engage in any negative campaigning. Many of my friends and supporters have offered me large sums of money to counteract the negative “hit pieces”, telephone calls and now radio ads. YLRRR, NOCCC and the Anderson/ Lindsey campaign have taken us to a new level of negative campaigning that should not be tolerated at any level of politics, much less for a Yorba Linda City Council race.

To clarify some of the erroneous information being disseminated by these groups, I have written about a few of the recent highlights:

* I am not a registered Democrat. I am a declined to state candidate in a non-partisan race. Most importantly, if you look at my voting record, I am a more fiscal conservative candidate than my stated- republican counterparts on the current Council. This is not an attempt to hide my political affiliation. I, like many Americans, are frustrated with our political party system and cannot align with either side.

* I have not voted to raise taxes 6 times since 2007.

* I believe in securing our borders and giving jobs to Americans first.

* I have voted for the e-verify system for all City contractors and employees.

* I can vote on projects in the Town Center outside 500 feet from my home, essentially west of Lakeview. Because I live within 500 feet of the redevelopment agency, I will abstain from voting on the EIR and the Specific plan.

* I support ethical behavior. I believe Measure Y is a flawed law and needs to be brought back to Council prior to its ratification by the Citizens of Yorba Linda. The ethics ordinance is already a law in the City of Yorba Linda. We can currently revise this ordinance without additional costs to taxpayers. If Measure Y passes, you will need to vote on changes to this law resulting in additional taxpayer costs.

* I have a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Illinois Medical Center in Occupational Therapy. I was certified as a Hand therapist 16 years ago. I have been in management for much of my career supervising up to 17 employees. Currently, I am the Senior Clinician of the Industrial & Hand program at St Jude’s Center for Rehab and Wellness. I also monitor the departments Quality Assurance program and perform ergonomic evaluations and testing.

For further information about other allegations, I would invite you to view the fact and fiction page of my website: www.janhorton.com

I have proudly served this community for the past 4 years. During this time I have kept my promise:

• to improve community communication
• protect our open space and trail system,
• plan for responsible, community- directed development,
• protected our community from increased crime
• support our business community and
• maintain a fiscally responsible City government.
  
  The equestrian community is facing considerable challenges that need to be addressed.

• People are buying equestrian properties and converting them to non-equestrian uses

• As the community has grown up around the trail system, there are areas that are no longer safe to cross

• As portions of the city were developed, trails were included but not always successful in making them equestrian friendly- steep inclines, crossings on blind curves, crossings where there are metal grates, such as casino ridge

• There are portions of the trail system that are not interconnected or do not align as you cross a street

• The equestrian community is threatened as the economy shrinks and household dollars and “new riders” become scarce.

• We do not have an adequate emergency system to handle our larger animals. Many of your members performed heroic feats during our fire emergency to save horses that were in danger. Although their actions are applauded, they placed themselves and the animals they were saving in danger.

I believe we can do something to encourage the equestrian lifestyle in our community and hopefully stem the tide of homeowners purchasing your properties for non-equestrian uses and improve the participation of the community in equestrian activities.

• I support and feel we can together do a better job of marketing the equestrian lifestyle and encourage others to participate:
  • an equestrian day in the City on Bernardo Yorbas Birthday or some other notable individual
  • along with a community outreach program

• I cannot change the heavy traffic challenges (for example in the town center) that create a huge risk to your animals and you the rider, but together we can strengthen the trail system by evaluating the entire trail system and continue to correct the crossing challenges.

• I have and will continue to work with the developers for the Murdock and Sage properties so their trails are connected appropriately and at a grade level that is safe for the rider and horse

• I do support the concept of a community stable or equestrian center. If the City has a parcel of land that is viable, I support privately funded facilities with a low cost land lease.

• Our current codes allow for private homeowners to house horses in greater numbers on their properties with a CUP. We can make that process easier to allow for the additional stalls, if the need presents itself.

• I support coordinating efforts with the Equestrian Coalition of Orange County  to formalize a large animal evacuation plan. I do not support the City performing this function because I know you are all sensitive to having the horses counted and the possibility of licensing. I believe this goal can be accomplished- equestrian to equestrian without government intervention.

I understand you are disappointed in the Equestrian Study that spent 70K of your dollars without a positive result. I did not support that study because it focused on one site only and one type of facility only.  I feel the outcome could have been different had multiple sites and sizes of facilities been reviewed.

I have and will continue to advocate on your behalf to improve safety on the trails, prevent encroachment and support the equestrian lifestyle in the City of Yorba Linda.
I hope to have your support in the upcoming council election.

I received unanimous support from the Yorba Linda City Council directing staff to post the salaries and benefits of the Council and the various job categories of our staff. The City of Bell City Council and City manager have embarrassed all of us who serve our communities. In light of their transgressions, I felt it was best to make our compensation easily available to members of our community. To view this information, go to:

http://www.ci.yorba-linda.ca.us/~ci26/component/content/article/4-urgent-news/525-city-council-and-city-employee-salary-and-benefit-information

The City of Yorba Linda’s Parks and Recreation Department hosts one of four Concerts in the Park during the summer in Hurless Barton Park, located at 4601 Casa Loma Avenue, from 5:30- 7 pm

Bring your own picnic dinner and/or buy food from local non-profit organizations and the Yorba Linda Volunteens. Seating is available in the amphitheater or grass areas at the park (chairs and blankets recommended).

Dogs are not recommended due to safety issues and the comfort of others in attendance. Riding skateboards, bikes, roller blades, and scooters throughout the park during the concert is prohibited. Alcohol is not allowed in the park.

JULY 18th: “The Answer” will be playing Classic Rock music.

JULY 25TH: The Silver Beatles will play a variety of Beatles music

AUGUST 1ST: “Yard Sale” will play Disco, Funk and Blues music

AUGUST 8TH: “Three Car Garage” will play Classic Rock music

I am in favor of ethical behavior and feel all public servants should be held to a higher standard. The  ethics policy, established in 1972, stated it was a minimum standard of behavior the People of Yorba Linda should expect from their elected officials, appointed officials and staff. It spoke to many of the same things the current policy addresses: conflict of interest, gifts, use of public property, and obligations to citizens, to name a few.  I support ethical behavior but have philosophical and procedural differences with the new ordinance. Unfortunately, when this ordinance was proposed, the Majority  Council would not allow votes on the separate sub-sections of the ethics code; it was an all or nothing approach. Since I had reservations about portions of the code, I could not vote for a law I believe to be flawed.
I view an ethics code as a living statement reflecting the values and direction of the Community. I would have preferred a process to include the community, staff, Commissioners and the Council to cooperatively develop an ethics code, rather than a dictate from Majority Council.

To view the new ethics ordinance, go to:  http://www.ci.yorba-linda.ca.us/~ci26/images/stories/pdf/Clerk/Agendas/StaffReports9-30-09.pdf

Issues I had with the New Ethics Code by Subsection:

Section 2.44.010 No solicitations from City Contractors:
I agree, any contractor that the Council gives contract approval, should be exempt from solicitations. There is another level of contractors in the city that are hired through various City Department Heads, many of whom are YL residents. For example: those who teach parks and recreation classes or a hardware store owner from whom the City purchases supplies. These could be considered contractors and a council member could accidentally ask or accept a donation without knowing they had a relationship with the City at that level.

Section 2.44.020 Prohibitions against accepting campaign contributions for 12 months after approving a permit or decision.
I agree. This section deals with accepting donations, $250 or more from an applicant if a Council vote is taken on their project. BUT this prohibition did not include individuals who benefit from a “no vote” to a project. There is a potential to “buy” a vote from either direction. This Council did not want this included since two of them had accepted $1000 from an individual where their “no” vote favorably affected his position. Mayor Anderson returned his “donation” after holding onto it for two weeks and he is the author of this ethics policy.

Section 2.44.030 Disqualification from acting upon a permit or decision if a campaign contribution was accepted within a previous 12-month period.
I agree although a year is a long time to expect a decision to be affected by a $250 donation.

Section 2.44.040 Prohibitions against seeking endorsements from city employees, commissioners, labor associations affiliated with city contractors.
I agree, employees should be exempt from solicitation. I do not see the harm in asking a commissioner for endorsement as long as they do not feel coerced. I do not disagree with excluding labor associations from solicitation but I feel ALL labor associations should be excluded including Sheriffs, District Attorneys, etc.

Section 2.44.050 Adoption of a code of conduct for elected and appointed officials
I agree but it seems silly to pass a law that says we will do something in the future. This majority Council has broken many of their proposed conduct rules including:  staff bashing, Consultant bashing, campaigning from the dais, disregarding public votes to fit their own political agendas, and the list goes on. We have had more staff quit because of this Councils behavior and yet it is not an infraction in their current new code.

Section 2.44.060 Adoption of a “Whistle blower” Policy
I think this was the ONE thing we should have done first and immediately. This would afford staff protection if they are asked by their supervisors or Council to do something they consider unethical. This would allow them to report the concern without fear of reprisals. Again, it seems silly to pass a law that says we will do something in the future. Why not now?

Section 2.44.070 Mandatory AB1234 training for all city staff, executives and appointed and elected officials
I agree with the state law of bi-annual training. I do not feel it is necessary to have all commissioners, Council members, Commissioners and staff take the training annually. In addition, I do not believe the Mayor has the authority to ask other Council members to notify them when they are doing the training independently. The Mayor runs the meeting and is the ceremonial figurehead for the Council but has no more or less power than any other elected Council member. We do not answer to each other, we answer to the People of Yorba Linda.

Section 2.44.080 Prohibition against closed door ad hoc committee meetings of the City council and Commissions
I agree as long as this does not violate personnel rules.

Section 2.44.090 Taping of all closed session meetings of the City Council
This section requires all closed sessions of the City Council to be taped. I disagree with this. This places the City in a vulnerable position when we discuss items regarding potential litigation.  Our City Attorney has also us advised against adopting this provision. There are undefined thresholds that would allow the tapes to be released. Additionally, the tapes could be release with the vote of three Council members. Although the majority Council approved this ordinance, I believe the threshold to release the tapes should have been raised to a super-majority of four to avoid a simple majority council from acting inappropriately for political reasons rather than what is best for the Community.

Section 2.44.100 Prohibitions against the misuse of City Resources or staff involvement in elections
I agree. I have observed the Majority Council abusing this section by working around the ordinance.
Section 2.44.0110 Enforcement
With this ordinance, I feel it is easy to make a mistake and then be vilified for political purposes. Who is responsible to track and enforce this policy? What is the threshold of the infraction and what is the punishment? This is not defined. It has a weak enforcement statement about hiring special council and possibly referring infractions to the DA. Larger items, like misuse of City funds would already be corrected with our current laws.

I do believe in transparency and making sure the community is informed. What has been extremely frustrating is how this Council espouses transparency and then finds exceptions for their own behavior. I do not believe an ethical code makes you ethical. Either you are ethical or you are not and should be judged by your behavior.