The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Be careful when sharing information I have been contacting local businesses in an effort to determine what crime prevention precautions they are currently using. I am happy to find that virtually everyone I have talked with has some form of security measures in place. But what concerns me is how easy it is for me to learn who has a monitored alarm, motion sensors, video surveillance, guards, etc, all over the phone. If you remember one thing from this article I want you to remember that con artists are just that-- artists. They are personable, friendly, professional, thorough and very convincing. Never give out personal information, such as your name, date of birth, Social Insurance Number, your daily routine, who lives with you, if you have any dogs, what cars you drive, if Bikes aplenty at auction More than 130 bicycles will be among the items for sale at a Halton Regional Police Auction next Saturday (April 1). Other items on the auction block will be jewellery, golf clubs, car stereos and fishing rods. The auction, will begin at 9:30 a.m., and will be held in the indoor garage at police headquarters, 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville. Viewing and registration will be from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Cash or cheque with proper identification will be accepted. No pets are welcome. Const. Chris Borak you have an alarm or not, unless you are absolutely sure of who you are talking to and you are absolutely sure the information is needed for a bonafide reason. The best thing to do is take the caller's name and phone number, and ask to call them back. Once you are satisfied that the number provided is for a legitimate caller, call them back and provide the required information. Banks and credit card companies don't call you and ask for your name and banking or card information. They should have that information if they are legitimate. They may ask you some questions to ensure your identity, and why can't you do the same for them? Just because they say they represent a bank, credit card or police service, doesn't mean they do. Take the time to protect yourself from becoming a victim. Call them back. Contact me personally for crime prevention tips, or information regarding community concerns through 905878-5511 extension 2470, or by emailing chris.borak@hrps.on.ca. Please reserve the 911 system for emergency calls only. --Const. Chris Borak is the communinty support officer for District 1