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RAINN's Top 10 Spring Break Tips

1.  Get to know your surroundingsbefore you go out and learn a well-lite route back to your hotel or rental property.
2.  Always carry emergency cash and keep phone numbersfor local cab companies handy.
3.  Form a buddy system with close friends and agree on a secret "butt in" signal for uncomfortable situations.
4.  Trust your instincts.  If you feel unsafe in any situation, go with your gut.
5.  Avoid being alone or isolated with someone you don't know and trust.
6.  Don't accept drinks from people you don't know and trust.
7.  Never leave your drink unattended, and if you do lose sight of it, get a new one.
8.  Always watch your dronk being prepared.
9.  Try to buy drinks in bottles, which are harder to tamper with than cups or glasses.
10. Avoid putting music headphones in both ears so that you can be more aware of your surroundings, especially if you are walking alone.

How Identity Theft Occurs By Thieves

 1.  They steal wallets and purses containing your identification and credit/bank cards.
 2.  They steal your mail, including your bank statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks, and tax information.
 3.  They complete a "change of address kit" to divert your mail to another location.
 4.  They rummage through your trash, or the trash of businesses, for personal data in a practice known as "dumpster diving".
 5.  They find personal information in your home.
 6.  They use personal information you share on the internet.
 7.   They scam you, often through email, by posing as legitimate companies or government agencies you do business with.

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JURY DUTY SCAM:

Most  of us take  those summons for jury duty  seriously  .. 
a  new and ominous kind  of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to  be a jury coordinator. 
If you  protest that you
never received a summons for jury  duty, 
the  scammer asks you for your
Social  Security number and  date of  birth 
so he  or she can verify the
information and cancel the arrest  warrant. 
Give  out any of this information and bingo, 
your  identity was just stolen.

The  fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, 
including  Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado .. 
This  (swindle) is particularly insidious
because they use intimidation  over the phone 
to try  to bully people into  giving information 
by  pretending they are with the court system. 
The FBI   and the Federal Court System 
have  issued nationwide alerts on their
web sites, warning consumers about  the fraud. 

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BE AWARE OF TERRORIST ACTIVITY

      We urge the campus community to go about their business and leisure activities as usual.  Due to the current heightened security alert, we would also urge you to report happenings or activities that you realistically suspect may be linked to terrorist related crime.  Call the University Police at 581-3212 or report in person at 7th & Grant on the EIU campus east of the MLK Jr. University Union.

GENERAL

1.  Be aware!  Recognize your vulnerability.
2.  Report all suspicious persons, vehicles and activities to the
     University Police Department immediately, by using any campus 
     emergency phone or by dialing 911 from any campus phone.
3.  Use the "buddy system" and watch out for your neighbor.
4.  Keep your door locked when you nap or go to bed for the night.
5.  Report lights that are out and any hazardous conditions 
     immediately.
6.  If you see someone being victimized, get involved and notify the
     Police Department.
7.  Remember the location of the emergency phones. 

WALKING

1.  Avoid traveling alone at night.
2.  Confine walking to well-lit, regular traveled walks and pathways.
     Avoid shortcuts and keep away from shrubbery, bushes, alleyways,
     or any other areas where an assailant might be lurking.
3.  Avoid the athletic fields after dark.
4.  Do not accept rides from casual acquaintances.
5.  When walking to your vehicle or residence, have your keys ready in
     hand.  Interlace your keys in your fist.
6.  When being dropped of by taxi or private vehicle, ask the driver 
     to  wait until you get inside.
7.  If threatened by an approaching vehicle, run in the opposite 
     direction. The vehicle will have to turn around in order to pursue 
     you.
8.  When getting out of a car, take a look around to make sure that you 
     are not being followed.
9.  If you think you are being followed, cross the street and, if 
     necessary, keep crossing back and forth.  If you are pursued run to 
     a campus building, business, residence, enlist the aid of a 
      passerby, flag down a passing motorist, or as a last resort pull a 
      fire alarm. Do anything that might attract attention or summon 
      assistance.  If you are walking alone and someone passes you, 
      check to make sure that person has continued
      to walk in the other direction.
10. Carry a loud whistle, this will draw attention to your position if
       assailed.