Just posting up because I don't remember seeing this mentioned before, and because I just read a post about the theft of a Cruiser that was up for sale. You may want to take a more relaxed approach with, say, longtime Mudders or friends of friends. But, in general...
Figure any post/ad will be read by potential thieves. Try to avoid providing trackable information: license plate (at least in the ad), identifiable location, your full name, even (if possible) a phone number registered to your current address or (if you want dive deeper down the rabbit hole) your full name. VIN number is an issue; legitimate buyers want to check for accidents/stolen vehicle notices etc. Technically, the owner's name and vehicle registration address can be found with the VIN alone, though most thieves are either not that sophisticated, or won't bother. At any rate, best to reveal that info only to those who contact you and seem legit (as opposed to putting it in the for-sale post).
DO NOT POST PHOTOS WITH GEOLOCATION INFORMATION. This is good policy even when you're NOT selling your Cruiser. Photo at home or work? Guess what? Any thief who can read the geo info can now find your Cruiser (and anything or anyone else you've photographed at home, for instance). He/She/They don't need your plate, VIN, name, identifiable photo background or any contact with you at all; they can just roll right up, thank you very much. There's an option on your phone or other device to turn off geotagging (which is probably turned on by default). Use it.
Track (as best you can) communications with anyone responding to your ad; if communication with you is the only way to find out where the vehicle is, and it's stolen shortly after, there's a better-than-average chance you chatted with or met the thief or someone working with them. Could they use a burner or a useless email address? Sure, but some lead is better than nothing. Maybe YOUR email address should be relatively anonymous--as in, not yourname@whereyouwork or your website etc. Anyone who wants to see the truck, must go through you.
Maybe even arrange any viewings (another danger point, if they're not the sneak-around-at-night types) at a (hopefully secure; I leave the particulars of that to you) location that is not your home, work, on any other place where you or the Cruiser can usually be found. I mean, don't make it weird, but make it as safe as you can. 'Hey, catch me in the parking lot at work' (but you don't work there); 'Stop by my house' (but you don't live there, and no Cruisers are kept there), like that. If you're gonna let someone do a test drive, ask to see their license. They're going to see your license plate when they see the vehicle, so there is that. But if they think they can find the Cruiser at this location tonight, or during workdays--why would they bother tracking the plate number?
Obviously, if someone jacks you, let 'em have it--but make sure the vehicle won't get far, and can be tracked, using measures discussed in other threads linked from the Master Security Thread (below).
Does all this seem like a bit much? Why yes it does.
But look at the world we're living in.
forum.ih8mud.com
Figure any post/ad will be read by potential thieves. Try to avoid providing trackable information: license plate (at least in the ad), identifiable location, your full name, even (if possible) a phone number registered to your current address or (if you want dive deeper down the rabbit hole) your full name. VIN number is an issue; legitimate buyers want to check for accidents/stolen vehicle notices etc. Technically, the owner's name and vehicle registration address can be found with the VIN alone, though most thieves are either not that sophisticated, or won't bother. At any rate, best to reveal that info only to those who contact you and seem legit (as opposed to putting it in the for-sale post).
DO NOT POST PHOTOS WITH GEOLOCATION INFORMATION. This is good policy even when you're NOT selling your Cruiser. Photo at home or work? Guess what? Any thief who can read the geo info can now find your Cruiser (and anything or anyone else you've photographed at home, for instance). He/She/They don't need your plate, VIN, name, identifiable photo background or any contact with you at all; they can just roll right up, thank you very much. There's an option on your phone or other device to turn off geotagging (which is probably turned on by default). Use it.
Track (as best you can) communications with anyone responding to your ad; if communication with you is the only way to find out where the vehicle is, and it's stolen shortly after, there's a better-than-average chance you chatted with or met the thief or someone working with them. Could they use a burner or a useless email address? Sure, but some lead is better than nothing. Maybe YOUR email address should be relatively anonymous--as in, not yourname@whereyouwork or your website etc. Anyone who wants to see the truck, must go through you.
Maybe even arrange any viewings (another danger point, if they're not the sneak-around-at-night types) at a (hopefully secure; I leave the particulars of that to you) location that is not your home, work, on any other place where you or the Cruiser can usually be found. I mean, don't make it weird, but make it as safe as you can. 'Hey, catch me in the parking lot at work' (but you don't work there); 'Stop by my house' (but you don't live there, and no Cruisers are kept there), like that. If you're gonna let someone do a test drive, ask to see their license. They're going to see your license plate when they see the vehicle, so there is that. But if they think they can find the Cruiser at this location tonight, or during workdays--why would they bother tracking the plate number?
Obviously, if someone jacks you, let 'em have it--but make sure the vehicle won't get far, and can be tracked, using measures discussed in other threads linked from the Master Security Thread (below).
Does all this seem like a bit much? Why yes it does.
But look at the world we're living in.
Vehicle Security: Master Thread (Index Thread)
Looking to create a one-stop link page for security threads--starting with the bunch below (in no particular order; maybe I'll organize them later). Find a good security thread? Post it up and I'll add it to the list. IF YOUR CRUISER WAS JUST STOLEN, GO HERE...
forum.ih8mud.com
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