How Safe Is Your Home From A Burglary Scam?

We are all used to scams in our emails, like the Nigerian letter scam, as well as phishing emails and fake websites. We have also learned to keep a wary eye on scams showing up in our regular postal mail, like the lottery scam or the chain letter scam. But we may still fall for a scam that starts as innocently as a knock on the front door.

Car Problems and Unexpected Deliveries

While there are many ways thieves can find to enter your home, they often favour two scams: the stalled car scam and the fake delivery man scam. These are popular with the criminal element because they work so well.

Car Problems

Here’s how the stalled car scam works:

Burglars, usually two well-dressed men or a well-dressed man and woman will park their car outside your house and lift up the hood. They will then walk up to your front door and ask if they can call a tow service. Basically, they preying on a natural sympathy people have for those in distress.

The way to counter this scam is to refuse to unlock your door, and if you feel that they genuinely need help, then offer to call the tow truck for them.

Unexpected Delivery

Here’s how the delivery man scam works:

The thief will deliver an unexpected package and require a signature before they leave it with you. If you do not recognize the delivery service, then call the company to verify their identity. Even if you do receive verification, it could still be their accomplices answering the phones. So ask them to leave the package on the porch rather than helpfully carry it into the house for you.

Alarming Statistics

Homeowners and renters should be aware that burglary statistics are high, with one occurring every 10 seconds throughout the country. In almost half the cases, occupants suffered an injury during the incident.

Discussing the need for homeowner vigilance on their blog, Security Choice, a dealer for ADT in Seattle observes, “Whether in a house, apartment, or somewhere else, home security is everyone’s responsibility. No area is immune from the threat of home invasion. In some areas, home invasion crimes are increasing. “

7 Steps to Improve Home Security

(Image taken from www.voont.com)

Besides not letting people in through the front door, regardless of the context of why they feel it’s important to come in, your home is also at risk when you are not there.

Here are 7 steps you can take:

1. Use light timers to stop a thief from sneaking up to your house in the dark.
   
2. If you use a lawn care company, verify the identity of the person they first send out. Make sure that they have done a thorough background check. A thief may use their day job to “case the joint.”
   
3. Ask your neighbour for help. This can be as simple as your neighbour watching to see if anyone parks in your driveway, gets your newspapers, or goes through your mailbox. You can, of course, offer to return the favour.
   
4. Develop an emergency plan for your home—like natural disasters, fires, or burglaries. This plan should include escape plans, like where to hide, where to go, or where to get help. Run some drills with your family to make sure that everyone knows what to do.
   
5. Use alarm systems. The last thing burglars want is for a “scene” that will alert any patrolling police cars.
   
6. Always make sure that all the windows are sealed shut and that all the doors have been locked before you leave the house.
   
7. Don’t hide spare keys around the house if you can help it. If you must hide your spare keys, then put them in places that will not be obvious.
   

The thing to remember about not falling for cons is that other people are not like you. Just because you believe in decency and good character does not mean that other people share these qualities. Robbers, thieves, and burglars don’t regard their acts as evil, but have a Robin Hood mentality of taking from the rich and giving to the poor. From their perspective, you’re the rich, they’re the poor, and depriving you of your hard won property is their form of social justice. Another thing you should also be aware of is that conmen and women are often well-dressed and well-spoken. Don’t expect people to look like criminals. That only happens in the movies.

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