SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Thanks to fraud prevention through cybersecurity measures, deputies arrested three people who attempted to steal from a home they were hired to house sit, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office (SBCSO).
According to SBCSO, a 30-year-old man, a 29-year-old woman, and a 36-year-old man all attempted to steal property or credit from residents whose homes they were monitoring.
Victims of the attempted theft received fraud alerts from their credit card companies and suspicious activity alerts from their internet providers detailed by the SBCSO.
SBCSO was then contacted and the victims provided information that led to the arrest of the suspects.
A 30-year-old man and a 36-year-old man involved in the robbery have been released from jail and custody, respectively, according to SBCSO.
A 29-year-old woman remains in custody on $150,000 bail for her role in the crime, according to SBCSO.
SBCSO reminds residents of tips to prevent both fraud and identity theft.
- Stay informed: Stay up to date on the latest scams and fraud schemes circulating in your area and online. Knowledge is the first line of defense.
- Check the source: Be wary of unsolicited emails, messages, or phone calls, especially those that request personal or financial information. When in doubt, verify the legitimacy of the sender or caller before disclosing sensitive information.
- Protect your devices: Make sure your devices, such as computers, smartphones, and tablets, have up-to-date security software and firewalls. Update operating systems and applications regularly to patch vulnerabilities.
- Use strong passwords: Create strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts using a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. To store and manage your passwords securely, consider using a trusted password manager.
- Monitor your financial activity: Regularly review your bank statements, credit reports, and financial transactions for suspicious or fraudulent activity. Report any discrepancies to your financial institution immediately.
- Protect your Wi-Fi network: Change your Wi-Fi router's default username and password to prevent unauthorized access. Consider enabling encryption (WPA2 or later) and hiding your network's SSID (Service Set Identifier) for an added layer of security.
- Update your firmware regularly: Update your router and smart devices with the latest firmware and security patches. Manufacturers often release updates to address known vulnerabilities.
- Implement network segmentation: Create separate networks for smart devices, computers, and guests to minimize the impact of a potential breach. Segmenting your network prevents intruders from gaining unrestricted access to all your devices.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Enable two-factor authentication on your online accounts and smart devices whenever possible. 2FA adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a second verification method, such as a unique code sent to your mobile device.
- Quickly track suspicious activity. We will notify law enforcement and financial institutions as soon as we determine that fraud has occurred.
