GEICO to Present Consumer Safety and Fraud Awareness Open House

Tuesday, October 24, 2006 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

One GEICO Boulevard Fredericksburg, Va. 22412

The media is invited to attend this event.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Oct. 18 -- In an effort to better educate its associates and local residents, GEICO is hosting a consumer safety and fraud awareness open house Tuesday, Oct. 24. Several exhibits will be on display to demonstrate the latest in fraud prevention and safety.

GEICO associates will be available able to answer questions about consumer safety, identity theft, and fraud issues. Special appearances include the GEICO Gecko, Fredericksburg's very own GEICO Caveman, McGruff the Crime Dog, Faux Paw the Techno Cat, and WBQB's Bill Carroll. NASCAR driver Mike Wallace will also make an appearance from noon until 2 p.m.

According to Nancy Pierce, regional vice president of GEICO's Fredericksburg operations, "A big part of our job at GEICO is providing safety measures to protect our consumers and prevent fraud. We want to extend the same knowledge to our own associates and local residents to educate them even more about how to be safe, prevent auto theft, and help combat insurance fraud."

  Pierce recommends these steps to help reduce the chances of auto theft.

  1)  Keep your vehicle locked at all times, even while driving.  Close all
      windows and sunroofs, no matter how hot it is.
  2)  Never leave your keys in the car.
  3)  If possible, park in busy, well-lit areas.  Thieves prefer to work in
      the dark.  Leave your car in park or in gear with the wheels turned
      toward the curb or some other obstruction, so thieves won't be able to
      tow it easily.
  4)  Avoid leaving valuables inside your vehicle where passersby can see
      them.
  5)  Install an anti-theft system in your vehicle if it doesn't have one.
      A mechanism that locks onto the steering wheel can be a very visible
      sign that you've taken steps to protect your vehicle.  Ignition cut-
      off systems prevent a car from being started.  Some new cars come with
      passive alarms that activate automatically when the key is removed
      from the ignition.  One system emits a signal that can be tracked by
      the police.  Thieves are reluctant to steal vehicles that can be
      tracked and recovered quickly.  Many insurers offer discounts for
      these types of systems.
  6)  Beware of the "bump-and-rob" technique.
      Carjackers bump your car from the rear, then steal it when you get out
      to look for damage.  When stopped at a traffic light, leave room to
      maneuver around the vehicle ahead if you need to.  If another car
      bumps yours and you feel threatened, drive to a populated area.  If
      you have a cell phone, call the police for assistance.
  7)  Do not leave registration or title in the car.  Too often a car thief
      is pulled over and gets away from the police because he or she can
      produce the auto registration.  If multiple drivers use the vehicle,
      the best suggestion would be to hide the registration in a secret
      location that only the owners know.
  8)  Look around.  Be aware of your surroundings, especially in garages,
      parking lots and gas stations.
  9)  Know where you're going.  Avoid known high-crime areas even if the
      alternate route takes a little longer.
  10) If confronted by a carjacker, do not resist.  Cars can be replaced;
      you can't.
  11) Have your car's vehicle identification number (VIN) etched on each of
      the windows.  Car thieves want to get off cheap.  They don't want to
      go to the expense of replacing all the glass.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the fourth-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States. It provides auto insurance coverage for more than 7 million policyholders and insures more than 12 million vehicles. GEICO, a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies, is rated A++ for financial stability by A.M. Best Company. GEICO keeps its rates low by dealing directly with the customer. GEICO provides consumers with outstanding sales, service and claims capabilities on its geico.com Web site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Consumers may also contact the company at its toll free 1-800-841-3000 number. 15 minutes could save you 15% on car insurance. For more information, go to http://www.geico.com/.