Johnny Bravo🏘's Linkedin Analytics

Here’s how to make a fraudsters job easier. 👇🏼🤣 This may not seem like an issue on LinkedIn since it’s mostly geared towards professional conversations. But every once in a while, folks share more personal details. I know I do. And while those posts may be a way for you to build authenticity; they can inadvertently help bad actors harm you. Here are a few common shares that may seem harmless but can open the door to identity theft, fraud, etc: 1. “It’s my birthday today!” ↳ You’ve just handed over a key piece of personally identifiable information (PII). ↳ Your birthdate is often a security question or ID verification field. 2. “Can’t believe my baby is 5 today!” ↳ Child’s name + age = perfect for social engineering, identity theft, etc. ↳ Even worse if your child’s name is also your password (Pro Tip: Don’t do this!). 3. Pet photos and names. ↳“Meet Bella, the best dog in the world.” ↳ Pet names are top choice when password guessing or social engineering. 4. That new home selfie? ↳ Check the background. Does your house numbers or street signs show? What about your license plate? ↳ Geo-tagged photos or visible addresses are a gold mine for fraudsters. 5. Travel pics posted while you’re away. ↳ You’re telling the world your house is empty. ↳ That’s not just a digital risk → it’s a physical one. ⸻ What can you do instead? → Delay personal posts. Share that vacation after you’re back. → Remove location data from photos. Google it. → Avoid posting full dates, addresses, or specific names that double as passwords. → Don’t use passwords with family names, birthdates, or pet names. → In general, don’t share PII on ANY platform unless you are confident in your privacy or understand the risks. ⸻ You don’t need to stop posting. You just need to post smarter. Stay vigilant folks. Johnny Bravo🏘 #identitytheft #fraud #privacy

Who wants a penthouse in #Dallas…🙋‍♂️ How about an applicant using a CPN…🦗🦗🦗 CPNs are a go-to method for getting past: 👉🏼 Credit checks 👉🏼 Eviction records 👉🏼 Criminal judgements Or any other past behaviors an applicant doesn’t want you to know about. And it seems an approval is only a week away if this fraud vendor’s claim is real. If you manage multifamily properties, single family homes, or any other type of rental housing…you can’t ignore the level of fraud that is happening everywhere. You need the tools, processes, and expertise needed to catch this type of bad actor. The old ways of screening don’t work like the used too. It might be time to try something new. Stay vigilant folks. Johnny Bravo🏘 #apartments #evictions

Brandon Hammond curated a list of amazing folks you should follow in the property management space. Leaders. Innovators. Influencers. Oh my! I hope to make this list one day but until then I've got one to add myself. Multifamily Weekend Update by none other than Justin Dilley & Eric Sharpe #Mulitfamily #propertymanagement #linkedin

Today’s not the only day you can be fooled. CPNs make everyday April Fools Day 🗓️ But this is no laughing matter. Credit Privacy Numbers are created and used specifically to try to fool standard credit, criminal, and eviction screening. They’re used for: → Apartments → Credit Cards → Auto Loans Or any manner of other financial products. So how do you stop yourself and properties from being tricked? Have a multi-layered approach ↳ Think identity verification, background screening, document verification, and income/employment verification, etc. Treat identity verification (IDV) as its own layer. ↳ Credit screening is not IDV. Document verification is not IDV. Income/Employment verification is not IDV. Train your team on common fraudster tactics ↳ Urgency to move in. Financial incentives to skip verification. Emotional manipulation. Providing fake references. With the right tools and processes in place, it’s much harder for bad actors to fool you. Stay vigilant folks. Johnny Bravo🏘 #aprilfools #fraud #multifamily

Here's some red flags to look out for when assessing an applicant in the leasing process. 🚩 While not solely indicative of a fraudster, they sure do love these tactics. → Uncooperative behavior → Requests to avoid screening → Unusual, pushy, or desperate behavior → Inconsistent or incomplete applications → Confrontational or disrespectful attitude → Inconsistent information from references → Inconsistent or vague explanations for moving → Unresponsiveness to communication and follow-up → Gaps in rental history without reasonable explanation → Reluctance to provide necessary documents or references → Unrealistic expectations for the leasing process or move-in → Mismatched income to job (Car Wash Technicians don't usually make $170,000 p/yr) Want to know more? Here's my reference: https://lnkd.in/gfF6N3DW What other behaviors have you seen from back actors? #fraud #leasing #apartments

Online fraud vendors prey on the vulnerable. Often, those most in need of housing. In this case, those who’ve been evicted or currently living in a hotel. “To qualify for this discounted price proof of eviction or hotel stay is needed!” And for those willing to pay the price → a CPN to bypass standard screening and paystubs to slip past document verification. Promoted as usable for: 👉🏼 apartments 👉🏼 cars 👉🏼 phones 👉🏼 appliances Or any other situation where the desire to hide past credit, criminal, or eviction history may be needed. The best way to safeguard against these types of fraudulent applications? Implement a dedicated identity verification solution that can distinguish between real vs fake application information. Any questions? Comment below or send me a message. #identityverification #creditprivacynumber #propertymanagement

Here's what I think is missing too often on LinkedIn. Freedom. Here's what I mean: Too many folks are focused on getting views and likes and comments. They’re shackled to performance... ⛓️⛓️⛓️ ...and chasing a metric. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️ They write for what they think will get them the fix they're looking for. → Likes → Views → Shares → Reposts → Comments → Impressions → Engagement This seems really stressful. You know what I post about? ↳ Anything I want. 🌭 vs 🌯 When do I post? ↳ Whenever I want. 🌄 and/or 🌃 How much or how little do I share? ↳ Up to me. 💍👦👦👧 I'm not trying to gain followers, or get reach. I’m trying to share my calling(s). → Loving my wife. → Nurturing my kids. → My journey through life. → Stopping fraud in rental housing. → Career advice that’s served me well. → Random LinkedIn tips I think are useful. → Successes, failures, and everything else in between. That’s FREEDOM. And it allows me to enjoy posting. → It's easier. → It's clearer. → It's more...me. Truth is, the only person who can give you that kind of freedom... is you. Give it a try today. Let me know how it goes. Drop any questions or thoughts in the comments below. Cheers. Johnny Bravo🏘 #freedom #success #linkedin

If you think you don't have the budget to put systems in place to catch synthetic fraudsters, then I hope you have the budget to deal with them.

Our kids don’t get rewarded for cleaning up thier own mess. At least as it relates to their playroom. It’s a responsibility, not a chore. I know many parents who use rewards as a means to get their kids to clean their room. “Once your room is clean, we’ll go to Handles for some ice cream”🍦 We’ve done this and will again I’m sure. But we’re pretty blessed in that our kids have a play area that is just for them and their toys. More Legos than a mine field. More Barbies than a Malibu beach house. Dinosaurs, toy racetracks, plastic swords and shields, nerf guns, and everything else you can imagine. When their friends come over, or it’s “quiet time”, this is their space to play. But here are the rules: 1️⃣ Once a month (at least), they do a deep clean. A place for everything and everything in its place. 2️⃣ If you bring a toy down from the playroom, put it back before bed or it will disappear for a while. 3️⃣ If their friends trash the place, it’s still your responsibility to clean up. 4️⃣ You all share responsibility for this space. Now, we realize they are still kids but they are now all old enough to understand these rules and the concepts behind them. 1️⃣ Stay organized and don’t willy nilly trash the place / leave your toys everywhere. Because it will be harder and take longer to clean during the deep clean. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes, sometimes 3 hours. 2️⃣ You have a space for your toys. Use it. The playroom or your bedroom. Where your toys don’t belong medium-long term → the floor…the kitchen table…the counter top…the car…etc. It’s hard enough to keep a house clean, they need to do their part where appropriate. 3️⃣ This is part of a long term strategy. The idea is that we want them to understand that the company they keep impacts them. If their friends come over and trash the place (with them), our kids can either speak up and ask their friends to stop, ask/convince them to help clean up after they’re done playing, or buck up and clean it themselves during the next deep clean. Our kids now have friends who they avoid taking up to the playroom sometimes. 4️⃣ This is meant to promote teamwork, collaboration, and sometimes delegation. They decide as a group how to clean it. Sometimes they all work together on one part, sometimes they divide and conquer. Our system isn’t perfect. And for various reasons this isn’t something a lot of families can implement the same way we do. But we’re playing the long game with our kids. This is just one way we’re trying to prepare them for a future on their own. #kids #parenting #responsibility

I hope your day is as relaxing as this. Happy Saturday you all. #relaxing #saturday #patenting

Did you know SentiLink has a fraud library? Resources, research, and insights…oh my! Direct from our technology and fraud experts. 👉🏼 Blog Posts 👉🏼 White Papers 👉🏼 Events 👉🏼 Media Even access to our Public Policy Newsletter by our very own Head of Public Policy Jason Kratovil Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gfUmhsaX Johnny Bravo🏘 #fraud #knowledgeispower #themoreyouknow

Navigating online misinformation about Credit Privacy Numbers is hard. Over the last few months, I've been looking directly at CPNs (aka synthetic identities) available online for sale. And I've noticed a few common themes related to them being marketed and used. In my first official blog post at SentiLink, I highlight some of the myths I’ve seen related to CPNs and their use within the property management industry. Myth # 1: CPNs are not illegal. Reality: CPNs themselves are not illegal; however if you use them for any legal or credit-related documents (lease agreements for example) then you cross the line into synthetic fraud. Myth # 2: CPNs are for privacy protection. Reality: Privacy protection is how CPNs are marketed online. The reality is that they are used to hide past credit, criminal, or eviction behavior to give a false sense of someone's capacity as a resident. These are folks who present themselves as 700 credit scores but behave as 500 scores. Myth: CPNs are OK to use as long as they are legitimate. Reality: There is no such thing as a legitimate CPN. They are not issued or recognized by the SSA, so anytime a CPN is used, it is either with an unissued SSN, or one stolen from someone else. Don't be fooled by the online chatter from folks selling these synthetic profiles. So tell me, have CPNs or synthetic identities been an issue for you? Comment below or shoot me a message. I might be able to help. Johnny Bravo🏘 #syntheticidentity #fraud #propertymanagement

Being #opentowork can feel lonely. I know because I've been there...so I hope this helps. 👇 First → Remember, you are not alone. There is a community here willing, able, and eager to help. Especially within the #multifamily industry. Whether we've known each other for years or have only recently connected, if there's something you think I can do to help, please reach out. I'll do what I can. In the meantime, here are some tips that have served me well when looking for a new role. ***Research, Research, Research*** Find out as much as you can about: → The company: ↳Website, blogs, news articles, financial statements, earnings calls, competitors, etc. 📌 Endeavor to know more than the interviewer. → The Interviewer(s) ↳ Schools, associations, mutual contacts, interests and lifestyles, commonalities to you, etc. 📌 What makes them tick? What kind of person do they want to work with? → The Industry ↳ New tech or innovations, regulations and legislation, changing dynamics, new disruptors, etc 📌 Have a thought about where the industry is going and how you can help them meet that future. ***Analyze*** → Debrief Every Call: ↳ Record every interview (Apple voice memos work great here) and re-listen to it afterward, regardless of whether you think it went well or horribly wrong. ↳ If they use Gong, ask the interviewer to share the recording. 🚩 Red flag if they won't. ↳ Write down EVERY question asked: Prepare a response so you're (more) prepared the next time it comes up. → Be Clear On What You Want In Your Next Role: ↳ Start-up vs corporate conglomerate ↳ Work from home vs commute to an office ↳ Large team vs small team ↳ Benefits and salary range ***Track Your Progress*** → I've used Huntr (https://huntr [dot] co/ ) and loved it. There are plenty of options here. Pick one that fits your style. ↳ Or create your own using Notion or Trello. 📌 This allows you to track the companies you're interviewing, the contacts, hiring process, etc. You can’t change what you don’t measure. ***Utilize Your Community*** → Reach Out To Past Colleagues and Contacts ↳ "Any openings you think I’d be a good fit for? Here are my superpowers." ↳ "Would you mind looking at my LinkedIn profile and Resume?" ↳ "Mind if I roleplay interviews with you?" → Be Active On LinkedIn ↳ Post about your experiences, skill set, and views of your industry ↳ Comment on posts related to your industry, target employers, or anything you can speak intelligently about. ↳ Show who you are as an industry professional. Good luck, and let me know if I can help in any way. I'll do what I can. Johnny Bravo🏘 #jobsearch

Curious about Security Deposit Laws in the US? Here's a comprehensive resource I recently came across. Courtesy of the folks over at Whale. Here's the resource: https://lnkd.in/gFiKfwBy Shout out to Jamie Petraglia and Whale for having this awesome resource available on their website. #securitydeposit #rentaldeposit #landlords *I make no claim to the accuracy of this info nor are there any affiliations between me, my company, or Whale. I simply found it, thought it was useful, so wanted to share.

Curious what a Credit Privacy Number ("CPN") is? Don’t take my word for it → Here’s how they're described for sale. 👇 Remember, a CPN or “Credit Privacy Number” looks like, is used for, and marketed as a legal alternative to using your real (issued by the SSA) Social Security Number. Within the rental housing space, they are used as a way to bypass standard background screening in an attempt to hide past credit, criminal, or eviction behaviors. That means they're often used to hide: → Arrest records → Past bankruptcies → Eviction judgements Anything that might disqualify someone based on your screening criteria. So, if you don’t have a dedicated identity verification solution that can detect this type of fraud, your properties are at risk. 🚫 Background screening won't catch this 🚫 Document verification won't catch this If you're relying on your platform alone to recognize these types of fraudsters, you might be putting your property at risk. Curious what I'm talking about? Drop your questions in the comments below. #syntheticfraud #creditprivacynumber #multifamily

There are plenty of Johnny Bravo toys out there. So I decided to try something different. Here's the thing about fraudsters → they aren't who you think they are. → They don't talk the way you think → They don't behave the way you think → They don't look the way you think they would No one persona fits everyone willing to submit a fraudulent application to your community. Which is one of the reasons synthetic fraud is so difficult to detect. Especially when your management or screening platform doesn’t have the right tools in place. Remember, these are folks who will use any means necessary to hide their real information. → Their behaviors → Their history → Their income → Their true identity If you're curious what I mean, shoot me a message. Stay vigilant folks. #fraud #propertymanagement #multifamily #rentalhousing Shout out to The BAM Companies for the empty package idea. By the way, they're hiring! Check out the post: https://lnkd.in/gMUjbgzh ↑ Not sponsored; just giving credit where credit is due.

Event Recap: I had a great time at the Apartment Association of Orange County’s Rental Housing Show yesterday. Here's some highlights: Got to meet a lot of great people and companies supporting rental housing owners and hearing about important changes in the industry. A few call outs 📣 A great session paneled by Kyle Nelson from Snappt and Wisam Ibrahim from Intellirent about fraud. "Tools & Strategies for Combating Rental Fraud" Three big takeaways that stood out to me (paraphrased): 1. Kyle: “Fraud is a business” Bad actors purposely building entire businesses dedicated to providing fake documents to folks trying to get past document verification and existing screening. Snappt is the innovator in recognizing these types of situations which they call "Inception Fraud". 2. Wisam: "With fraud, we can't avoid it, we just need to stay ahead of it...our goal is to always stay one step ahead." Bad actors, more then ever, have advance tools and techniques focused on getting past rental screening. So it's critical the rental housing industry innovate to stay ahead of this escalation. 3. Kyle, rightfully, raised the concern about bad actors lying about who they are (either as a component of identity theft or synthetic fraud) saying they are someone like “Johnny Bravo🏘” when renting an apartment. How dare they! 😡 Also shout out to an absolutely amazing session by Denise Cato (President & CEO of the Fair Housing Council of Orange County) focused on fair housing. If you ever have the chance to see her speak, you will be informed, entertained, and prepared. Last shout out to PooPrints for my kids favorite giveaway I brought home. #rentalhousing #tradeshow #industryevent

I don’t work for money. I work for this. This right here. 👇🏼 Moments like these. My kid, fast asleep, bathed in peace and calmness. This is what success looks like to me. 💵 Not the money. 🏆 Not the awards. 🙌🏼 Not the accolades. But the freedom for him to slow down. The space for him to breathe and rest. This is what I want for my family. 😌 Peace of mind. 🧘‍♂️ Tranquility in life. That’s the WHY behind my work. Hope your Sunday is as restful as his was here. Johnny Bravo🏘 #success #parenting #kids

Being a dad to boys is hard. It seems like you’re failing all the time. You know you’re suppose to be an example. But you want them to be even better than that. Better than you. → You want to show strength, but not aggression → Self-Acceptance, but not mediocrity → Kindness, but not be exploited → Compassion, but not gullibility → Contentment, but not apathy → Emotions, but with restraint → Pride, but not arrogance It’s human to mess up on these things. It’s not all the time. Maybe even not often. But as a dad, the expectation is to be perfect. Because you only want the best for them. From you and for them. So here’s my message to all the dads out there. 👍🏼 You’re doing great. The only thing you need to do near perfect is be there. That’s all. That’s my secret. 👉🏼 Show up 👉🏼 Be present 👉🏼 Keep your promises You got this! Johnny Bravo🏘 #boydad #kids #parenting

Have you ever regretted a decision? Wished you could go back in time and change it? That happened to me today. I was at an industry event with two options for lunch. 🌮Mexican Food Truck: Tacos, burritos, etc 🍔American Food Truck: Burgers, hotdogs, etc I chose the shorter line and got a hotdog. 🌭 Then I got home and my wife told me today was National Burrito Day. It’s true: https://lnkd.in/gG_75WNv One of the reasons I ❤️ her is she keeps me posted on important things like this. Timing was just a little off. Not her fault though. But I still wish I could go back in time and change my decision. Johnny Bravo🏘 #nationalburritoday #Thursday #throwbackthursday