19 Dangerous Scam Phone Numbers and Area Codes To Avoid

19 Dangerous Scam Phone Numbers and Area Codes To Avoid

By Joshua Rodriguez

Area Codes To Avoid  About Scam Numbers  Common Phone Scams

Scams are becoming more and more prevalent. They’re so common that experts have coined the term “scam economy.” Unfortunately, it’s easy to change a phone number, and scammers often do so to avoid getting caught. The good news is that scams operate in many known area codes, so you can avoid being the next victim simply by watching for known scam phone numbers.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a list of scam phone numbers handy to avoid them altogether? Keep reading to learn more.

19 Area Codes for Common Scam Phone Numbers

More than 300 area codes exist in the United States alone. The good news is that if a scammer is calling, often it will show up under common area codes. Here are 19 area codes you should never answer if you don’t know who’s on the other end.

List of Scam Phone Number Area Codes

216: Cleveland, Ohio

218: Northern Minnesota

232: Sierra Leone

268: Antigua and Barbuda

284: British Virgin Islands

332: New York City

347: New York City

469: Dallas, Texas

473: Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique

649: Turks and Caicos Islands

646: Manhattan

657: La Palma, California

664: Montserrat

712: Western Iowa

767: Commonwealth of Dominica

809: Dominican Republic

829: Dominican Republic

849: Dominican Republic

876: Jamaica

What Is a Scam Phone Number or Area Code?

Scam phone numbers and area codes typically involve calls you receive from numbers you don’t recognize. Often there is no customer service you can contact or law enforcement you can involve for these calls obfuscated by distance or sheer volume. Changing a phone number is easy, so it’s challenging to catch every scam phone number out there.

However, if you get a call from a phone number or area code you don’t know, it’s likely best to avoid picking up the call and research the following before you call back:

https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/financial-planning/list-of-scammer-phone-numbers/?hyperlink_type=manual&utm_term=related_link_1&utm_campaign=1248370&utm_source=yahoo.com&utm_content=1&utm_medium=rss

5 Best Ways To Stay Safer From Identity Theft When You’re Online

5 Best Ways To Stay Safer From Identity Theft When You’re Online

August 22, 2023  By Greg Garrison

Unfortunately, scammers trying to steal your information and identity online aren’t going away. The Federal Trade Commission received more than 1.1 million reports of identity theft from consumers in 2022, and that number has steadily increased as scammers get more advanced.

Having your identity stolen can have serious financial consequences and sometimes takes hours of work over months to sort out and repair. So while scammers get more advanced, you need to as well.

Here are our five best ways to keep your identity safer when you’re online:

Be Proactive

While many people wait until after their identity is compromised to act, one effective way to stay safer online is to be proactive. In addition to the other tips in this article, getting a comprehensive identity protection service now, before you suffer from identity theft, is one of the best ways to help protect your identity.

LifeLock is a leader in identity theft protection services for good reason. With Standard, Advantage and Ultimate Plus, there’s a LifeLock option for everyone. The products are designed to help protect your identity and sensitive personal information by continuously monitoring online activity, then providing assistance in case your identity is stolen.

For more comprehensive protection, the Ultimate Plus package stands alone. In addition to offering dark web monitoring, alerts of suspicious activity, data breach notifications and more, this service also provides reimbursement for stolen funds and other personal expenses if you become an identity theft victim.

The best part? If you’re concerned about a data breach you can start a free 30-day LifeLock trial (*terms apply) and get protection now.

Keep Your Sensitive Information Private

This starts with your Social Security number. Guard it closely, and if someone requests it, make sure to ask why. Then only share if it’s absolutely necessary. LINK

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/finance/best-ways-to-stay-safer-from-identity-theft-when-youre-online/?utm_term=incontent_link_7&utm_campaign=1242821&utm_source=yahoo.com&utm_content=10&utm_medium=rss 

3 Simple Steps You Must Take to Shield Yourself from Identity Theft

3 Simple Steps You Must Take to Shield Yourself from Identity Theft

How to fortify your identity against the growing threat of fraud.

by Abigael Good  August 16, 2023

Identity thieves can cause a lot of stress — not to mention damage — if they get access to your personal information. In fact, in a recent GBR survey, 58% of Americans said having their identity stolen would be catastrophic.

Even if you don’t have that same level of concern about identity theft, there are still three key steps you should take to protect yourself. “Rather safe than sorry” is the name of the game.

1. Reset Your Passwords

If you’re concerned about identity theft, the first step is to go through your passwords for all important accounts, from your email to your bank, and make sure they are all different from each other.

If you reuse passwords, it is easy for a hacker to gain access to your login information for just one site and use that knowledge to wreak havoc on your identity. You may be extremely vulnerable if you have been mindlessly repeating the same password, or similar passwords, across accounts.

If you need help keeping track of your new, unique passwords, you can use a password manager. Password managers are secure sites where you can store all your logins, so you only need to remember the login to your manager to access all the rest. Of course, make sure your password manager login is extremely strong and not a duplicate of any other account’s login.

2. Sign Up For Alerts

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.gobankingrates.com/how-to-shield-from-identity-theft-1863382/?utm_source=yahoo.com&utm_term=related_link_2&utm_campaign=1241554&utm_content=4&utm_medium=rss

8 Ways to Prepare and Protect Your Money

8 Ways to Prepare and Protect Your Money

Experts Explain Hyperinflation and 8 Ways to Prepare and Protect Your Money

September 27, 2022 Financial Pilgrimage

Imagine a world where money is worth practically nothing, and the costs of goods increase rapidly, doubling and tripling day after day. This situation might sound like a fictitious movie plot, but it has happened many times before in our world. It’s called hyperinflation, and it can wreak economic devastation on people.

Right now, the increasing prices of goods and services across the board have already stretched people’s budgets. That’s just called inflation. But during hyperinflation, things would get dramatically worse. While the odds of this happening in the U.S. are small, there is no better time to get your financial house in order.

Financial planners and experts share their best tips and personal finance advice to prepare for any economic scenario, including hyperinflation.

But First, What is Hyperinflation?

Inflation can signal that an economy is growing and demand for goods and services is rising. However, hyperinflation is not just about high growth in the cost of goods.

“The biggest misconception about hyperinflation is that we’re in it now,” said Mike O’Leary, co-host of early retirement and frugal living podcast Friends on FIRE. “Economists typically define hyperinflation as a month-on-month increase of 50% or more. We’re currently experiencing an uncomfortable but fairly normal inflationary cycle.”

Why Does Hyperinflation Occur?

Hyperinflation is complex. There are many reasons why hyperinflation could occur. Every country’s economy is different and has its own unique path that could lead them down into this nightmare scenario.

However, common underlying causes of hyperinflation include:

A rapid increase in the supply of money without a currency backing such as gold

A rapid rise in the demand for goods and services

In the past, some governments have rapidly increased the money supply by printing money. Hyperinflation occurs when excess money is rapidly added to an economy, such as Brazil’s 1995 hyperinflation. From 1985 to 1994 prices rose by a mind-boggling 184,901,570,954.39%.

Common Hyperinflation Misconceptions

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://financialpilgrimage.com/hyperinflation/

Security Tips From Security Pro Part 2 of 2

Security Tips From Security Pro Part 2 of 2

Think Security - Serious Info on ALL Safety Measures Good Read

Think Security  

What is the first thought when I say bodyguard? I'll bet you thought of   a 250 lbs weightlifter, ex-football player, all star wrestler or the like. A big muscle bound man standing around your front door with folded arms and an Uzi under his suite coat. Right?  

Well maybe in the movies, but certainly not real life. Take me for example: I am 5'9" I can't lift my own body weight above my head more than a few times, I might be able to do ten pushups without collapsing and chin ups - forget it!! I am a normal guy.

I'm not a nerd, jock or playboy I am just an ordinary average single dad with four wonderful kids that like to wrestle in the living room and they usually always win.

My history. (There is a point.)

In 1987, I attended and graduated Executive Security International, a school located in Aspen Colorado. This is the premier school for professional executive protection specialists. My instructors were former Secret Service agents, top of the line protection agents, navy seals, and bodyguards for the super wealthy.  

The training included shooting with top competitive shooting champions, driving with top race-car drivers, Martial arts with navy seal instructors etc. The point is that this school trains and qualifies hundreds of agents each year.  

Many go on to work in law enforcement, special ops etc. in order to get endorsed by the school you must graduate as what they refer to as level 3. Anything below that and you do not get an endorsement a referral or as much as a good word.

ESI only refers or places the top of the top the best of the best and my point of all this is, I myself, even as a graduate of this incredible school will be interviewing and hiring agents for my family protection from there.

Heck I might even be real nice and hire one for my ex-wife. Only the kidnapers would pay me to take her back!  My class had about twenty students; only four of us graduated level 3 and got endorsed and placed. One went on to work at the white house with the Secret Service.

Two went to Tanzania to protect executives for Exxon. I went on to protect the family of a wealthy cookie company executive in Utah. You have probably all had free samples in a mall somewhere.

After that, I worked for a wealthy newspaper executive from India, and many other wealthy executives and a presidential candidate who you all know as the governor of the state of CA.

I then started my own protection agency where we guarded high profile executives, celebrities, country music performers and even other presidential candidates.

The point is this. If after you read the rest of Part 3 you decide that you do want to hire a professional, I have nothing to gain by telling you that I will be hiring someone from ESI, probably a female agent since I have small kids and a woman tends to be a lot more observant.

So before we go on let me say this, the best security that you can employ is simply, secrecy! The fewer people that know you have money or access to it the better off you are. (Hands down) I believe that the NDA, which I have read so many complaints about, will be the best thing for you over all. Create your story and stick to it. I do believe that the NDA is there for your own protection.

 Think about it, if signing the NDA is for the contract rate only what is to say that those that take the street rate won't go write books and make movies. It is because they won't walk away with as much money. The ones who really need to keep their mouths shut are the ones making the big bucks and are more likely to be targets of the bad guys.

So you are now worth a few million dollars, some of you billionaire is the word. But, why does anyone, and I mean anyone need to know that? Keep your financial affairs in the lowest part of the kitchen drawer.

Don't flaunt your wealth; don't expose yourself to the pirates from the beginning. Yes, they have their feelers and you may get exposed through them but the more you can do to avoid un-needed attention the more you can rest assured that you are less of a target.

RECOMMENDED: a book called "the Millionaire Next Door" Read it! Read it again and live it. '

Do you know that Sam Walton lived in a modest home in a normal neighborhood and he drove a 1970s pick-up truck? Most people around him had no Idea he was a billionaire. The guy that started and sold Micro-soft lived in my hometown and nobody knew he was worth billions when it sold. He drove the same old VW bus around.  

He eventually bought a really nice home in a secured neighborhood but not for several years and not until his kids begged him to move to a bigger home. Most millionaires are average people with the same wardrobe that I like, T-shirts and jeans, my boots are the most expensive things in my closet and it will stay that way even post RV.

I will not buy or drive a Bentley or a Ferrari. A new truck and maybe a Dodge Challenger is my extreme. I will not be chauffer driven except for a limousine that takes my four kids and I to the airport to go on our vacation.  Yes average, ordinary people splurge sometimes and limo's are the max of that rare splurge.

If you must buy Lamborghinis, mansions and high roller toys do it in the name of an offshore corporation. Many people believe that the super wealthy use things like bank accounts in the Bahamas as tax avoidance but the downright truth is its hiding their wealth from the pirates of the world.

Its about 90% privacy and maybe 10% tax avoidance. Your financial planners and wealth advisors can help you manage your funds and maintain you privacy. However, don't forget pirates have well paid feelers everywhere.

If you own your own business, if you bought an expensive yacht, you moved out of your modest 200 k home into a 3 million dollar home on the beach, if you come across as a person of means with access to big money. You may still be considered a target and the surveillance begins.

Remember I told you that a successful kidnapping requires information, observation, and tailing the target. Your protection agent should be an expert in surveillance and counter surveillance. A master martial artist or a quick draw and a dead aim are cool talents to possess, however none of the professionals that I worked with nor myself ever carried a gun. The best talent a security expert has is observation skills.

Now pay attention. The name of my agency was Silent Shadow Detectives. The name says it all. My mission was to protect the client and the client never knew we were there. We were silent and we remained in the shadows. Nobody and a do mean nobody knew we were there. 

I will apologize now for the length of this writing but I feel this is important so I want to share a story to bring home my main point when it comes to hiring a top protection team.

When I worked for the cookie company, she was a Mrs. and her name was their brand. Her husband ran the company and did all the hiring and firing. One day I turned in an invoice and he did not want to pay me. During our meeting he said he would not pay for services not rendered.

 I gave him the detailed report of where his wife and family had been at every moment of the day, I included all the routes she had taken and what car she had taken and then switched throughout the day as she was instructed to do in our initial training. I also gave him detailed descriptions of the Private Investigator that he hired to follow her while watching for us.  

His PI had lost the trail of his wife four different times, as my team was able to derail him in his pursuit. As far as we knew initially he was a watcher for the bad guys until our research team identified him as a local Private Detective. I did have to apologize for the three flat tires and his disabled vehicle.

Nevertheless this executive was comforted to know that his family could be themselves, live their lives and live as normal as possible without muscle bound goons in suites standing around every corner.

The point is this; you can have protection without having your life style cramped by a bunch of armed men in fatigues.

So you want to hire the best. Call ESI arrange for interviews with several agents. As the agent comes into your office for the interview excuse yourself for five minutes and then leave. Come back, make yourself comfortable, ask some basic qualifying questions and then ask them to describe the picture on the wall directly behind them.

Remember observation skills are the most important skills a protection agent has. So, he/she can't tell you the color of the balloons or exactly how many clowns but they do at least know it is a picture of a circus. Get the point?

Then move on to the critical test. If they are not willing to do this test, then move on whether you are interviewing ESI grads or PI agencies from the yellow pages I would conduct this test on any protection team I am considering, ask them to follow and report on a brother, friend, neighbor or anyone willing to take detailed notes of their day.  

Several potential agents have followed my bother before I hired then to work on one of my protection teams. Compare the notes from your assigned target with the notes of your interviewee.

Do not forget, a great counter surveillance operative is going to be an expert at surveillance, especially if you are hiring a team.

Once you have hired the right agent to work for your family you should have daily contact and they should be able to tell you where you have been where your children have been. If they discovered any possible watchers for the pirates and what counter measures were taken to thwart even possible surveillance operations.

It is true that on a daily basis you, your family members are going to come into contact with strangers. What you do not need is some overzealous bozo jumping out of the bushes to tackle every unknown passerby.

What your agents are looking for is watchers and then they eliminate all possibilities for these watchers to gain any usable info. At some point the pirates figure out that you have real pros working for you and they simply move on to the next target.

Thank you for reading this I hope this information is helpful.  I personally thank God every day that I know about this opportunity. If this information I have shared has done nothing more than to start you thinking then I am at peace with myself.

So, I will leave you now with this final thought. How many times in your life did your bicycle NOT get stolen because you had a good lock on it? We will never know. So how many times will your family be kept safe because you have a true professional watching the watchers? Think about it.

The best advice the security team told us on what to do once the RV hits, Is to keep your mouth shut & Mind your own Business!...

Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley - Audiobook
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aicyobUTJrQ
 
"Taken" For "Ransom" Trailer (recut)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpiicbMzi7Y
 
Man on Fire (2004) Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALKCTuH79iE

Security Tips From Security Pro Part 1 of 2

Security Tips From Security Pro Part 1 of 2

A Post From Dinar Recaps Archives

Think Security - Serious Info on ALL Safety Measures Good Read

I just wanted to pass on a bit of caution. As a former professional Executive Protection Specialist (Bodyguard to the Super Rich) Many of you will walk out of the bank as millionaires, multi-millionaires and some of you Billionaires.   You have been given great advise when it comes to Identity and computer security and some things to do to protect your identity. (All Computers should have VPN protection and encrypted emails -)

All great information and thought. But, please think about this! Please don't let the most blessed day of your life be the beginnings of some of the most frightening and horrific experiences of your life!

That's when you get that dreaded call that your daughter, son or wife will not be coming home unharmed until a paper bag full of un-marked 100 dollar bills is brought to this remote location and traded for the safe return of your beloved. (please, please, please) don't think this plot is reserved for the movies.

It happens all the time, 100s of kidnapping cases each year occur and are never on the daily news channel. These unscrupulous types are what my team always referred to as land sharks. Yes they are out there, they are hungry and they are dangerous. It is true these land sharks smell blood 1000 miles away and the blood these pirates smell is money, Easy money!

 The day you walk out of that bank with that receipt for 1 mill plus, your blood trail just started! They will be watching, car, yacht, expensive homes etc. being purchased. Don't think for a second that don't have feelers out there, car dealers, bank employees, construction workers, you name it.  Yes, even Baby sitters. These dirty players have feelers everywhere.

 One case a team member worked on shortly after I got out of the business involved a baby sitter who gave out security codes, travel plans, work schedules and this teenager even left the lock on the basement door unlocked all for a few hundred bucks.  

The bad guys walked in, the three year old girl was taken, the parents forked out 3 million dollars and the money was gone in a flash and the three year old is still a picture on a milk carton somewhere!! I really don't want to scare you or insult your intelligence. But you WILL be a target of these evil players.  

How do you protect your family and yourself? you contact a professional security specialist, a reputable Private Investigation firm can direct you. I strongly suggest that you get a hold of ESI (Executive Security International) it is a very well run Bodyguard training center.  

The instructors are former Secret Service Agents. They train hundreds of protection specialist (both men and woman) They are the best of the best and can hook you up with the right people.  

It is not my intention to scare anybody, I hope you find this information useful and thought provoking. If this post makes it and gets your attention I would be glad to write part 2 and tell you how to make sure you are hiring a true professional and not being taken by con men.

Security is a business full of snakes and I will tell you how to   avoid them as well as some things you should start doing right away to prepare for your wealthy future Think Security

I suppose that after such a tremendous response to my post called Think security part 1, I owe it to my new friends to post part 2 and to answer some great questions when it comes to the security of your family and I will share how I will go about protecting my own family. Also I will attempt to correct my writing skills to make this more readable.

According to Sun Tzu in "The Art of War" It says ""If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." Based on this idea, let me use a scenario to illustrate the point.

Put yourself in the position of the land pirate. Remember that most pirates run with a crew. They work as teams and they don't care who gets hurt as long as they get what they want and we all know that is money!

They have done some snooping and have identified you as a potential target. In clandestine interviews with neighbors etc. These deviants learned that you have a wife, four kids at the ages of 2 to 8 yrs. old. They learn that your oldest son attends the local elementary school and that he rides the bus, which leaves and arrives at the same time every day.  

These criminals sit outside of your home and take diligent notes on what time you leave for work and the fact that your wife stays home with the other kids most of the day occasionally leaving at random times to run errands etc.  They make tedious notes about the activities and routines of your family. Information is vital to these scurvy dogs.  

They have to decide how they will get you to part with your money and the easiest way to do that, extortion, blackmail, theft/robbery or kidnapping. Kidnapping is one of the most common methods with the least risks on their part. You are now the distraught loving parent and are under their control.

You are too afraid to call the authorities and you are now motivated to give up the money because they have your child or wife and we all would do anything on earth to keep our loved ones safe.

Ok, let me drive to the point and this is a crucial point when thinking about what security expert or agency you hire. These pirates have already determined through multiple ways, paid off bank employees, yard workers, remodeling contractors etc. (these info sources are endless.)  

That you are a target and that In order to be successful they must gather as much information as possible in order pull off a successful kidnapping to assure that you willingly give them the money they desire. By watching your every move and noting the activities of each of your family members they can determine how vulnerable your family is as well as the best plan to make their move. 

Ok I know this is very long and to spare you having to read all day I will post part 3 this evening I will go over all about hiring professional executive / family protection specialists and how they function in and around you family to keep you safe.  Here is a parting tip.  

Start getting used to changing your routines. This is the first thing  a protection specialist should train you to do is to change the times you leave, the times you come home, especially your routes, start taking your kids to school, stop sending them on the bus, that is too predictable.

Change all the established patterns that you do day to day. Deviate your routes as much as possible. I must implore, don't, and I repeat! DO NOT live your life in fear, just go about your life, live well and help others as much as possible just take necessary precautions. Follow the advise of your protection agent like you will your wealth managers, attorneys etc.   

In Answer to a question about how many bodyguards will you need to hire. (you are millionaires now, you can afford it) One good agent can train and protect your family, he/she will work with alarm companies to set up the best security system around your homes he/she will also work with trained dogs. Will you have them or not? I will have very well trained Dobermans and German Shepherds.

 Your agent should be a counter surveillance expert. Stopping the free information flow simply cuts out the bad guys ability to plan any event against you or your family. Most protection experts work with teams as well.

Protecting Yourself Against Fraud

Protecting Yourself Against Fraud

Russ Wiles, Arizona Republic  Sun, June 11, 2023

Protecting Yourself Against Fraud, scams and identity theft is hard. These tips can help

Criminals aren't taking time off for the summer, and neither should you when it comes to protecting financial accounts. Keeping your guard up against fraud, scams and identity theft is a full-time pursuit.

The threats extend from divulging too much personal information to having your tax refund stolen. Here are some of the problems and some tips that can help:

Few good reasons to reveal your Social Security number

If a gym asked for your email password to sign you up for a membership, you likely would decline. But if the company asked for your Social Security number, you might provide it.

“From gym memberships to job applications, we treat this nine-digit number as a standard piece of information to hand out willingly,” said Raj Ananthanpillai, founder and CEO of Trua, an identification screening and verification company. “The odds are that you are trusting too many people with it.”

Ananthanpillai argues that consumers should divulge Social Security numbers much more carefully, partly because they can end up in data breaches. You should use your number only for purposes directly related to employment income, reporting/paying taxes and opening bank and other financial accounts, he said.

“For literally everyone else, I want you to ask them what the purpose is, ask them whom they will share it with (and) ask them how long it will be stored on their servers.”

Ananthanpillai’s company, Trua, collects vital information from customers, stores it and confirms identities when needed without revealing the underlying information. He acknowledges that it isn't always easy to decline requests for a Social Security number, but he suggests first asking if you can provide other, less-sensitive identifiers.

 “I’m not promising you that you will be able to avoid sharing your SSN, nor am I promising you that you will make a ton of friends in this process, but you will become a better advocate for yourself,” he said in a statement.

Even the threat of fraud can delay your tax refund

 To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/protecting-yourself-against-fraud-scams-143026432.html

5 Financial Scams That Target Your Cell Phone

5 Financial Scams That Target Your Cell Phone

Jake Arky   Tue, May 16, 2023

Scams are everywhere these days, from the email phishing to fake websites trying to steal your money, information or both. As scams are increasing and becoming more prevalent, it’s important to be aware of all the ways to stay safe when using your personal technology. The latest target for financial scams is right in your pocket: your cell phone.  “The phone has become the center of targets for scammers now as a scammer can send not only an email, but also a text message where people are much more trusting for some reason which really should not be,” comments Sandy Fliderman, CTO at Industry FinTech.

GOBankingRates reached out to Fliderman, as well as some other security and cyber-tech experts, to learn more about all the scams you might encounter on your phone — and ways to protect yourself.

Smishing

You might be familiar with the term “phishing,” where scammers use seemingly trustworthy contact information to furtively gain access to your data. But now there’s a new type of phishing out in the world known as “smishing.”

“This is a type of phishing scam uses text messages to trick you into clicking on a link or providing your personal information,” says Fliderman. “The text message may appear to be from a legitimate company, such as your bank or credit card company, but it is actually from a scammer.”

After you have uploaded all your information, it goes immediately to the scammer who can take your identity, money, data, or any other private material stored on your phone.

Vishing

A variation on the phishing theme is vishing, where scammers call and attempt to deceive you into giving them your personal information.

“This is a type of phishing scam that uses voice calls to trick you into providing your personal information,” notes Fliderman. “The caller may identify themselves as a representative from a legitimate company, such as your bank or credit card company, but they are actually a scammer.”

As technology is advancing, so too are the scams that can wreak havoc on your cell phone. Scams are upping their game in a variety of ways, including utilizing artificial intelligence.

“Now they are also using AI to fake the voice and make it sound more legitimate since many scammers are from outside the U.S. and have strong accents. The AI gets around this issue,” says Fliderman.

Spoofed Call

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/5-financial-scams-target-cell-210010518.html

America Once Again Turns the Other Cheek

America Once Again Turns the Other Cheek

February 6, 2023  Simoon Black Sovereign Research & Advisory

When the infamous British smuggler Robert Jenkins sailed past Jamaica in April of 1731, he probably thought he was home free.  Jenkins had a ship full of contraband which he had picked up in the West Indies, and he was heading back to England to sell his goods in London’s premium markets.  But Jenkins wasn’t transporting drugs or alcohol, or even anything especially exotic. His ‘contraband’ was sugar. Big deal.   The West Indies at the time, though, were mainly under Spanish control. And Spain insisted that no one could export sugar from their territory without their express approval, along with paying heavy taxes and fees.

Most traders didn’t care. By 1731, Spain was a declining power. Everyone knew it. The once-dominant Spanish Empire had been vanquished by military defeat, political incompetence, succession crises, internal rebellion, and more, and it had become a hollowed out shell of its former self.

So even though it was technically illegal to export sugar from Spanish lands, British privateers and smugglers routinely thumbed their noses at the rules. After all, not only was Spain a declining power, but Britain was a rising power… so the Brits felt emboldened.

But luck was not on Jenkins’s side on that fateful day in April 1731. Somewhere off the coast of Cuba, his ship Rebecca was intercepted by a Spanish patrol boat named La Isabela.

Jenkins knew that his small vessel was outclassed, so he dropped anchor and permitted the Spanish to board his ship.

They quickly found the sugar… and we can only imagine Jenkins responding with a shrug of the shoulders and claiming “I have no idea how that got there.”

Whatever his response, the Spaniards were unimpressed. So they tied Jenkins to a mast and interrogated him for a while, until the Spanish commander finally drew his saber and sliced off Jenkins’ left ear.

Jenkins was then let go, and he hastily made his way back to London where he protested directly to King George II himself. There are even stories (though uncorroborated) that Jenkins even told his story in the House of Commons, waving his severed ear at shocked Members of Parliament.

Needless to say, Britain and Spain eventually went to war in what became known as the War of Jenkins’ Ear.

Jenkins wasn’t necessarily the primary cause. Tensions between the two kingdoms had been rising for years.

Britain was growing rapidly and wanted to muscle in on Spanish trade routes. Spain was shrinking and desperate to hold on to what it had.

War between rising and declining powers is actually a very common theme throughout history; it’s known as the Thucydides Trap, named after the ancient scholar who wrote the history of the wars between Athens and Sparta.

Athens and Sparta were also rising and declining powers in the 5th century BC. As Thucydides himself wrote, “the growth of power in Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in [Sparta], made war inevitable.”

World War I, which involved several rising and declining powers (Germany, the US, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire) was another Thucydides Trap.

And the rising tension between the US and China is quickly trending towards another.

This conflict is palpable, and in my opinion, obvious. I believe that China has been at war with the US for years, and they haven’t even tried to hide it.

Everyone is aware of the recent Chinese balloon found over nuclear sites in Montana. But the attacks have been taking place for years.

In 2018, for example, suspected Chinese double agent Jerry Chun Shing Lee was arrested at JFK airport after US authorities found evidence that he had infiltrated the CIA and sent classified material to Chinese intelligence.

In 2016, Chinese spying was so blatant that the US Department of Justice actually filed charges against China’s General Nuclear Power Group for stealing US nuclear secrets.

Over the past several years there have been several high profile corporate espionage incidents involving US companies like Google, Dow Chemical, and defense contractor Northrup Grumman.

In 2018 a group of Chinese hackers infiltrated a network associated with the Naval Undersea Warfare Group and stole US submarine cryptography.

Then there were other revelations in 2018 that China was electronically eavesdropping on then-President Trump’s iPhone calls.

In 2019 China was found to have hacked dozens of universities who were performing research from the US Navy.

In 2020, the California socialite Christine Fang was exposed as a Chinese intelligence operative who had managed to establish and maintain sexual relations with a number of prominent US politicians.

Then there was the Harvard University professor who had been paid off by Chinese intelligence to leak sensitive research.

Or the 2021 Microsoft Exchange Server attacks, in which Chinese hackers infiltrated several Microsoft mail servers and gained administrative access to countless corporate email systems.

Or China’s role in the 2020 Solar Winds attack, which breached millions of systems, plus hundreds of corporate and government networks, including classified systems.

China has even weaponized its popular social media app TikTok.

TikTok has not only stolen the most sensitive information from its users-- lifestyle habits, likes and dislikes, goals, locations, financial details, biometric data, etc.-- but it has also developed algorithms to essentially reprogram teenagers’ personalities and take them down a dark rabbit hole of anxiety, violence, depression, and even suicide.

Through TikTok, China has essentially created a tool to wage psychological warfare against an entire generation of young Americans.

And let us not forget, of course, that China also unleashed COVID-19 on the world. But, hey, we’re not allowed to talk about that lest Google and Mark Zuckerberg cancel us off the Internet again.

It’s remarkable that, despite incursion after incursion, attack after attack, the United States has done practically nothing about any of it.

Instead America has adopted a sort of 1930s style European ‘appeasement’ strategy. Or as I call it, “turn the other *** cheek”.

Chinese leaders must be aghast that they’ve been able to get away with so many brazen attacks. And it would be absurd to think their incursions will not continue.

They’ve already stolen mountains of classified information, infiltrated thousands of corporate and government networks… and pre-positioned who knows how many zero-day exploits on critical cyber infrastructure.

In other words, China has already given itself a major tactical advantage should any armed conflict break out.

What are key policymakers in the US doing about it? Well, their top priority seems to be pushing the US military and intelligence agencies to become more woke.

US military combat power is objectively in decline. The Pentagon itself acknowledges that mission readiness is falling, recruiting is abysmal, equipment is aging, and key weapons systems have lost their technological superiority.

But at least everyone is using the right pronouns!!!! We can only imagine how terrified China must be of US Special Operations Command’s diversity and inclusion.

To be fair, I don’t believe that either side really wants a war. If nothing else, China knows that its demographic pyramid is upside down, and they cannot afford for young people to die in combat.

But wars between rising and declining powers have been fought for dumber reasons… like contraband sugar, and a smuggler’s left ear.

Never forget that the ‘leader of the free world’ is a guy who shakes hands with thin air, so it’s anyone’s guess how this plays out.

A shooting war would clearly be a terrible outcome. But so is the status quo of turning the other **** cheek while China continues to weaken the US.

Neither is a good option. Yet once again America’s leadership has absolutely no answers to an obvious threat.

Simon Black, Founder   Sovereign Research & Advisory

https://www.sovereignman.com/trends/america-once-again-turns-the-other-butt-cheek-145703/

The Quiet Disappearance Of The Safe Deposit Box

The Quiet Disappearance Of The Safe Deposit Box

Michael Waters  December 2, 2022 Very Informative & Interesting

Once revered as the safest way to store physical valuables, safe deposit boxes are now being phased out by major banks. The move is already starting to backfire.

In the opening sequence of The Bourne Identity, a young Matt Damon wakes up with no idea who he is. All he has is a code — the account number for a safe deposit box in Switzerland.

At the bank, an attendant leads him into an elaborate steel vault, where he’s presented with a safe deposit box. Inside are the first clues to his identity: a gun, a watch, stacks of cash, and a series of passports under different nationalities, including one bearing the name “Jason Bourne.”

Over the years, safe deposit boxes have become iconic — a staple not only of the banking industry but also of heist movies and spy flicks. Inside Man, The Dark Knight, Casino, and The Da Vinci Code all feature pivotal safe deposit box scenes.

In Hollywood, safe deposit boxes are so prominent, in fact, that it’s easy to miss the seismic changes racking the industry: In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, big banks have quietly abandoned the safe-deposit business.

Both HSBC and Barclays have shuttered their safe-deposit services in many countries, and Capital One joined them in 2016. Most recently, this past September, JPMorgan Chase announced it was phasing out its safe deposit boxes, too. In the coming decade, other major banks seem likely to join them.

What went so wrong?

The Rise Of The Safe Deposit Box

The Civil War was just days away when a New York businessman named Francis Jenks stumbled on an idea that would change the face of the banking industry.

In March 1861, while on a trip to England, Jenks — the moneyed son of a Harvard professor — began to wonder what he was supposed to do with his valuables while he was out of town.

He decided to create a company that would store items for New York’s “fashionable inhabitants,” who wanted to, say, decamp to Europe for the summer.

Rather than worry about burglaries, Jenks suggested that the urban elite store their books, wills, jewelry, tea sets, and silver with him.

He opened a massive, marble building in lower Manhattan, complete with a thick steel vault. Inside, he offered 500 safe deposit boxes to customers.

To ensure the safety of the boxes, Jenks required two keys to unlock a box: one key for the customer and one key for his employees. Guards armed with muskets stood in front of the building at 146 Broadway through the night.

He called it the Safe Deposit Company of New York.

It was the first company of its kind — and as the Civil War broke out, demand soared. Bold-faced names like the Vanderbilts, the Guggenheims, the Roosevelts, and more began storing their valuables with Jenks. Hetty Green, the millionaire businesswoman, maintained a private vault so big that it could fit a desk inside of it.

It was such a success that copycat safe deposit box companies began proliferating across the US, with names like the Mercantile Safe Deposit Company and the Lincoln Safe Deposit Company.

While the first safe-deposit companies were stand-alone organizations, dedicated solely to safekeeping, major banks soon got involved. By the early 20th century, nearly every bank in America had a safe-deposit arm.

The Tricky Economics Of Safe Deposit Boxes

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://thehustle.co/the-quiet-disappearance-of-the-safe-deposit-box/

Protecting Your Home Against Burglary

Protecting Your Home Against Burglary

Burglary and home invasions are some of the most prevalent crimes in the US. With a break-in happening every 26 seconds, you can see why home security is an important area to consider. The difference between a home invasion and burglary is if there are homeowners inside the residence during the break-in. A burglary occurs when no one is home and becomes a home invasion if someone is present during the crime.

You’ll be happy to know that burglary rates in the US have been steadily falling over the past decade, but that still resulted in 314 burglaries per 100,000 people in 2020.

Grim statistics aside, there are many methods to prevent this from happening to you and your family. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the necessary and more effective means of home security, as well as cost-effective options to keep your home the safe place it should be.

Top 10 Reasons You Should Have A Home Security System

Deters burglary and property crime before it happens. Homes that do not have security systems are 300 times more likely to be targeted than homes with security systems.

Protects your pets while you’re out of the house. While it’s not overly common for burglars to harm pets during a break-in, it’s not unheard of. Even if your pets are unharmed physically, the fear they can experience during a burglary is still traumatic.

Reduces home insurance rates. It shouldn’t be a surprise that if homes without security systems are 300 times more likely to be broken into, insurance companies are willing to give breaks to homeowners with security systems. Less chance of a break-in, theft, or property damage means that your insurance company is less likely to have to pay out to cover losses.

Increases personal safety in the case of a home invasion. If you or other household members are at home at the time of a break-in, a security system can give advance notice allowing occupants to hide or protect themselves from harm. Allowing advance notice could increase your chances of avoiding that outcome.

Increases your home’s value. It can be a significant attractor for potential home buyers to know that there is an existing security system ready for them. While there’s a balance when you’re selling your home between wanting to provide that sense of security without making it seem like your house is in a dangerous neighborhood, overall, a modern security system increases your home value. Be sure to talk with your realtor about this if you’re selling your home — they’ll have insight into what your market would respond to best.

Helps you to have peace of mind while you’re on vacation. Monitored security systems aren’t just great for protecting against theft but also for making sure that you don’t come home from vacation to find that your dishwasher flooded your kitchen or that there’s been a gas leak. Most home security companies allow you to customize the level of monitoring you pay for. Usually, you might not have your system monitored by an actual person on the other end, but while you’re away on vacation, it can be a great way to ensure peace of mind. Some home security companies even contract out security guards to perform a home safety check if requested.

Helps you keep track of your kids. Smart locks and home camera systems can also go a long way to giving you peace of mind concerning the whereabouts and safety of your kids. If they’re at the age where they can stay home alone or come and go when you’re not there, having that checkpoint can be a huge relief.

Allows remote access to your home. Smart home locks aren’t just convenient because you can program them to do things like automatically unlocking when you’re walking up to the door (no more dropping groceries because you’re fumbling with keys), they can also allow access to your home when you’re not there. Say you forgot to drop off plants to be watered by a friend while you’re away. You can remotely unlock the doors for them to pop in and grab your plants and then safely lock up again when they’re gone. Easy peasy!

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.inspectionsupport.com/resources/protecting-your-home-against-burglary/