Sackrison Insurance Agency | Napa

Herman and Lilly’s security company had been up and running for several years before the need arose for hiring an employee.

Lilly took on the project of interviewing applicants, hoping to find someone with experience. The first few prospects were quickly dismissed, but when Eddie Truman stepped into the small office, Lilly was charmed.

Clean-cut, well built, with an air of self-confidence, Eddie had an impressive resume of experience with electronics and installation. Lilly hired him on the spot. Even Herman took to the young man, pleasantly surprised with how competent he was with the tasks assigned to him.

All was going swimmingly… until the day Eddie was given the job of installing surveillance cameras in a large home on Mocking Bird Lane.

The owner let Eddie in before leaving briefly to grab something at his office. Eddie got to work with wiring and cameras, moving from room to room, setting up equipment for installation.

Stepping into the master bedroom, Eddie noticed a handsome, gold watch atop a dresser. He looked closely, noting the expensive brand. There was a bracelet near the watch that looked valuable, as well.

The temptation was too strong. Eddie slipped the watch and bracelet into his pocket before continuing his job.

The following day, Lilly received a call from Dr. Dudley. He went into great detail, explaining how he was certain that the person who installed his security system had stolen a very valuable watch and piece of jewelry from his home in the short time Dr. Dudley had stepped out.

He distinctly remembered placing his watch on top of the dresser next to his wife’s bracelet before changing out of his work clothes, previous to letting Eddie into the house.

When he went to retrieve his watch the following morning, both it and the bracelet were gone. Mrs. Dudley was out of town, and no other person had entered his home since Eddie had been there.

Lilly was sure there had to be a plausible explanation. She called both Herman and Eddie into the office to inquire about the situation. As soon as she mentioned the watch, Eddie’s eyes narrowed and he ran from the office, never to be seen again.

The watch had been a custom-made Swiss watch, bought as an anniversary gift, worth $10,000. The bracelet had been a family heirloom estimated to be worth $4,000.

Herman and Lilly realized their mistake in trusting too quickly. Their current insurance policy did not cover the property of clients. Herman and Lilly paid out of pocket to cover their customer’s losses.

​Have you considered Commercial Crime Insurance? There are many coverages available including these few choices:

• Employee dishonesty
• Forgery or alteration
• Computer fraud
• Money orders and counterfeit money
• Property of clients

​If you think your business could use protection from these types of crimes, a custom Commercial Crime Insurance policy is what you need. Give me a call today to discuss the types of coverages available for your business.

The majority of the population has been affected by identity theft in some way.

Most of us, if we haven’t directly had our own identity stolen, know of someone who has. You’ve probably received emails from a company you had previously done business with, notifying you of compromise due to cybercrime.

Your personal information may have been stolen, and you have no idea if or when someone will use that information against you.

Did you know that you can purchase an endorsement for your homeowners or renters insurance that will help cover some expenses in case of identity theft?

This is a topic you will definitely want to consider and discuss with your agent/broker.

Helmer Boyde was a regular guy who lived in a middle-class neighborhood. He was an essential worker, putting in 9-hour days, six-days-a-week. When Helmer finally settled into his recliner after dinner each evening, he browsed the local sales pages for antique tools.

He liked collecting the old, hand-forged axes and hatchets, vintage saws, and similar handcrafted contraptions.

One evening Helmer found a sale he just couldn’t pass up. It was several states away, but the seller offered to send the tool if Helmer signed up for a specific payment method.

He typed in the typical personal information required for such transactions, and a password that he used for all of his accounts. Helmer never did receive that tool he thought he had purchased.

Instead, he began to receive calls from creditors he didn’t know he had, and bills for things he hadn’t purchased. Things went downhill so quickly, it took Helmer by complete surprise.

He remembered that when he had purchased his homeowners insurance, his agent had talked him into an identity theft endorsement.

His agent had dealt with so many customers who encountered some type of identity theft, it was something he strongly encouraged everyone to add to their renters and homeowners policies.

Helmer contacted his agent and quickly received helpful advice on how to proceed. The insurance didn’t cover the actual purchases that happened as a result of identity theft, but it did pay for a fraud specialist who worked on getting to the root of the problem.

It also took care of replacing government-issued IDs, the cost of any criminal charges or lawsuits up to the policy’s limits, attorney’s fees, etc.

Helmer spent many hours trying to recover most of the money he had lost by calling the creditors and explaining his dilemma. The insurance coverage helped with much of the extra costs involved, for which he was grateful.

If you haven’t considered the importance of this type of insurance, I encourage you to check with your provider to see if it is offered as a part of your basic homeowners/renters policy.

​If not, check to see how much an endorsement would cost to add on as a rider. Identity theft can happen to anyone. As always, be prepared.