PHEHA - What Is Suspicious Activity (2024)

PHEHA - What Is Suspicious Activity (1)All too often neighbors are confused about what they should report and why. Suspicious activity can refer to any incident, event, individual or activity that seems unusual or out of place. Some common examples of suspicious activities include:

  • A stranger loitering in your neighborhood or a vehicle cruising the streets repeatedly.
  • Someone peering into cars or windows.
  • A high volume of traffic going to and coming from a home on a daily basis.
  • Someone loitering around schools, parks, or secluded areas.
  • Open or broken doors and windows at a unoccupied residence.
  • Someone tampering with electrical, gas, or sewer systems without an identifiable company vehicle or uniform.
  • Persons arriving or leaving from homes at unusual hours.
  • Multiple persons who appear to be working in unison and exhibiting suspicious behaviors.
  • Signs of forced entry or tampering with security or safety systems.

The effectiveness of police efforts is enhanced by active participation on the part of neighbors. By calling to report suspicious persons or activity, you not only aid the police, you make your community a safer place to live. Some people fail to call because they are not aware of activities that might be suspicious. Others may notice suspicious activity and hesitate to call for fear of being labeled a “nosy neighbor.” Still others take it for granted that someone else has already called. Always report suspicious activity and all crimes because police don’t know there’s a problem unless they are told.

By reporting these types of activities and situations, citizens can make their communities safer and more secure, reduce violence, minimize victimization, reduce crime, and improve the overall quality of life.

REMEMBER:
Community members only serve as the extra “eyes and ears” of law enforcement. They should report their observations of suspicious activities to law enforcement; however, citizens should never try to take action on those observations. Trained law enforcement should be the only ones ever to take action based on observations of suspicious activities.

*Source is Bureau of Justice Assistance
U.S. Department of Justice

PHEHA - What Is Suspicious Activity (2024)

FAQs

What qualifies as suspicious activity? ›

Suspicious activity is any observed behavior that could indicate a person may be involved in a crime or about to commit a crime.

What are three suspicious activities? ›

Some common examples of suspicious activities include:
  • A stranger loitering in your neighborhood or a vehicle cruising the streets repeatedly.
  • Someone peering into cars or windows.
  • A high volume of traffic going to and coming from a home on a daily basis.
  • Someone loitering around schools, parks, or secluded areas.

What are examples of suspicious activity in security? ›

Suspicious activities or behaviors may include, but are not limited to:
  • Wandering around campus areas attempting to open multiple doors.
  • Seeming nervous and looking over their shoulders.
  • Entering restricted areas when not authorized or following immediately behind others into card-access areas while the door is open.

How do I fix suspicious activity detected? ›

You can:
  1. Set up 2-Step Verification.
  2. Download a more secure browser, like Google Chrome, or add Enhanced Safe Browsing to Chrome.
  3. Remove harmful software.
  4. Use a password manager.
  5. Learn more about types of suspicious account activity and steps to take in response.

How much money is considered suspicious activity? ›

Dollar Amount Thresholds – Banks are required to file a SAR in the following circ*mstances: insider abuse involving any amount; transactions aggregating $5,000 or more where a suspect can be identified; transactions aggregating $25,000 or more regardless of potential suspects; and transactions aggregating $5,000 or ...

What triggers a suspicious activity report? ›

If a customer does something obviously criminal – such as offering a bribe or even admitting to a crime – the law requires you to file a SAR if it involves or aggregates funds or other assets of $2,000 or more.

How do banks detect suspicious activity? ›

Banks leverage sophisticated rule-based detection systems that monitor transaction patterns and flag anomalies. These systems analyze factors such as transaction frequency, amount, and geographical location, comparing them against established customer profiles and historical data.

What is an example of an unusual activity? ›

Unusual activity is more nebulous than the traditional signs of money laundering, terrorism financing, and other financial crimes. Examples may include unexpected large transactions, a sudden increase in account activity, activity outside the purported use of an account, or anything else that seems out of the ordinary.

Which two things could be determined as suspicious Behaviour '? ›

Suspicious behaviour
  • Loitering in restricted or public areas.
  • Paying significant interest to entrances, exits, CCTV or security staff, taking photos.
  • Concealing face / identity.
  • Asking unusual or security related questions.
  • Avoiding security staff.
  • Activity inconsistent with the nature of the building or area.

How common are suspicious activity reports? ›

More than 3.6 million SARs were filed in 2022, an 18% increase over 2021. The 3.1 million SARs filed in 2021 represented a 22.5% increase over 2020. The graph below, Figure 4, below shows the total annual volume of suspicious activity designations, or “flags,” reported across all filings.

What happens with suspicious activity reports? ›

In the United States, under the Bank Secrecy Act (1970) (BSA) and later amended by the U.S. PATRIOT Act, SARs are filed confidentially to alert law enforcement (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), for example) of potentially illegal transactions.

Can Google detect suspicious activity? ›

If there's ever any suspicious activity associated with your account, Google will let you know so you can secure your data.

What is suspicious activity on Internet? ›

Malicious Database Activity

Unauthorized internal or external changes to the database can cause suspicious activities to pop up. You can identify these activities through changes in users, permissions, and content.

What is an example of a suspicious item? ›

Are there wires, a smell, unusual stains, or anything else that obviously appears suspicious? Is it typical of the bags or items of the setting? For example, large duffle bags are common at the Rec Center, but may seem out-of-place if left in a classroom.

What is an example of a suspicious object? ›

Suspicious Object

The object could be mail, a package, a duffel bag, or unattended briefcase, for example. Anything that may appear out of the ordinary that you determine to be out of place, AND no other explanation for its location.

Which of the following is an example of a suspicious person? ›

The following are some examples of behaviors that could be considered suspicious: Persons monitoring areas, entrances to buildings or buildings. Persons pacing back and forth who appear to be dazed or confused. A person pulling on multiple doorknobs or trying to open residence hall/office rooms.

What is an example of suspicious activity in AML? ›

Dealing with High Risk Jurisdictions
  • the production, processing or marketing of narcotics or other illegal drugs; or.
  • other criminal conduct; or.
  • wire transfer to or from a banking secrecy-haven country or country generally known for money laundering and terrorist financing.

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