Although landlines are quickly fading into obsolescence, many households still use them. If your landline rings but the call goes silent shortly after you answer, it’s a reason to be cautious—especially if this happens multiple times over several days.

Burglars often use this tactic to check if anyone is home after they’ve scouted a potential target. If someone answers, they’ll hang up and wait for another opportunity to strike.

If someone shows up at your door claiming to be a service worker, no matter how legitimate they appear, never allow them inside. Utility companies always schedule appointments in advance, so if someone arrives unexpectedly, they’re likely not who they claim to be. Keep your door locked and contact the company directly to verify their identity.

If it’s a genuine error, they’ll patiently wait for confirmation from their head office. If they’re a criminal, they’ll likely vanish as soon as you make the call.

It’s surprising how many people still hide a spare key under their welcome mat, and thieves know this all too well. In fact, most burglars will check there first. While seasoned criminals will carefully replace the mat, less experienced ones might leave it slightly out of place.

If you notice that your mat has been disturbed, it’s a strong indication that your home is being watched, and you should take immediate precautions.

Animals tend to be more perceptive than humans and will often try to alert you if something feels off. This is especially true for dogs, though cats can also pick up on unusual activity (your hamster, however, likely won’t be much help).

If your pet starts acting strangely—growling or showing signs of fear toward something outside—it could be because they’ve sensed someone lurking around. Instead of going outside to check, ensure all doors and windows are securely locked.

You might think that after one of your neighbors is burgled, thieves wouldn’t risk returning to the same area. However, burglars often exploit this assumption, targeting multiple homes on the same street over the span of several days.

Since houses in the same neighborhood tend to share similar layouts, a successful break-in provides burglars with insights into common weak spots, increasing the likelihood of further attempts. If a neighbor has been burgled, there’s a significant chance your home could be next.

When burglars are scouting your house, they often sit inside a vehicle to blend in and observe unnoticed, sometimes for hours. If you spot a car parked outside your home with someone inside who doesn’t leave after a few minutes, take note of the make, model, color, and license plate.

Experienced burglars may switch between vehicles to avoid detection, so be equally wary if you notice different cars parked suspiciously over several days.

We’re naturally inclined to help those in need, and burglars often exploit this by faking emergencies. This usually involves someone knocking on your door, claiming they’ve been in an accident and often appearing visibly injured.

While it’s admirable to assist, you should never let a stranger inside. Instead, call emergency services and, if you feel safe, offer help outside where they can’t assess your home’s security.

For many, the demands of working life make it unavoidable to leave their homes empty for extended periods, which unfortunately makes them attractive targets for burglars.

While it’s unrealistic to change your schedule to stay home all day, it’s wise to invest in solid home security measures. This will help deter potential thieves, especially if you know your house will be unoccupied for several hours on a regular basis.

If you notice someone taking photos of your house or nearby properties, it should raise immediate concern. Burglars often pose as real estate agents or surveyors, complete with official-looking documents, to appear legitimate.

Rather than confronting anyone you suspect of suspicious behavior, it’s important to enhance your home security and consider reporting the incident to your local police station.

A common tactic burglars use when scouting homes is leaving flyers at the door to see how long they remain untouched. This helps them identify homes that are unoccupied for extended periods, making them prime targets.

To avoid this, pick up any flyers as soon as you see them, signaling that your home isn’t left vacant for long. If you can’t avoid leaving leaflets outside, ensure your home is equipped with strong security systems.

Burglars typically wait for you to leave before breaking in, but they’re aware of the risk of you returning while they’re still inside.

To avoid being caught, some burglars will have someone follow your car to monitor if you come back unexpectedly. If you suspect a car is tailing you, try changing your speed and direction randomly. If they continue to follow, call the police and head home.

It’s understandable to want to showcase expensive valuables, but doing so can attract more than just admiration. Burglars don’t break in without reason—they take the risk only when they believe the payoff is worth it.

Leaving valuables in plain view through your windows makes it easier for burglars to size up your home, significantly increasing the likelihood of being targeted.

If someone is behaving suspiciously, it’s likely that someone in the neighborhood will notice. This is why maintaining good relationships with your neighbors is important, allowing everyone to share any concerning observations (group chats work great for this).

Even if you haven’t noticed anything unusual, take extra precautions if a neighbor has. Similarly, if you spot something out of place, make sure to alert others in your community.

Thieves often rely on deception to gain entry into your home, giving them the opportunity to spot valuables or security weaknesses. If someone knocks on your door asking for a favor—like using your bathroom or getting a drink of water—never let them inside.

Criminals are skilled at appearing sincere and may try to make you feel guilty for refusing, but it’s crucial to stand your ground.

People often discard sensitive information carelessly, and burglars are well aware of this. When scouting a house, thieves may steal bags of paper waste from your garbage, hoping to find useful details—such as documents about your security systems or travel plans that reveal when you’ll be away.

While buying a shredder isn’t necessary, it’s wise to thoroughly tear up any papers containing sensitive information before throwing them out.

While most people are careful about locking their ground-floor windows, they often overlook those on upper floors. Burglars are aware of this and frequently use higher windows to gain entry.

This usually involves a ladder, and thieves often hide one near the home they plan to break into a few days before attempting the burglary.

Burglars typically study the routines of their targets, planning their break-ins when they know the house will be empty. While they use various methods to learn your schedule, sometimes they’ll simply ask you.

If a stranger engages you in conversation in a public setting, they might be fishing for information to help them break into your home. Avoid sharing details about your daily routine, your workplace, or any upcoming vacations.

No matter how safe you believe your neighborhood to be, leaving your windows or doors unlocked is an open invitation for trouble. Burglars often come from outside the area, and if you neglect basic security, it’s only a matter of time before someone takes notice.

While investing in extra security is always a smart move, locking your windows and doors is the bare minimum. If you get burgled because you overlooked this simple step, you only have yourself to blame.

Before breaking into your home, burglars want to ensure it’s worth the risk. That’s why criminals often steal packages from homes they’re scouting. If the stolen packages contain valuable items, they can reasonably assume there’s more inside worth targeting.

If you’ve had packages stolen—particularly if they contained valuables—consider enhancing your home security. And, of course, be sure to report any theft to the police.

After purchasing a new TV or computer, it can be tempting to leave the box outside with your trash for collection. However, this can quickly catch the attention of thieves in the area.

By doing so, you’re not only advertising that you have a valuable new gadget inside, but also signaling that you likely have other expensive items worth stealing.

Criminals won’t blatantly linger outside your home while scoping it out. Instead, they’ll walk by multiple times, taking mental notes of your security setup with each pass.

While it’s unnecessary to become paranoid and suspect everyone who walks by, if you notice the same person repeatedly—especially if they seem to be observing your home—it’s a cause for concern. Take note of their clothing, physical appearance, and how often you’ve seen them.

Discovering unfamiliar signs or symbols marked on or near your home is one of the clearest—and most alarming—indications that you’re being targeted by criminals. Police investigations have uncovered that burglars use various symbols to convey messages like “weak security,” “valuable items inside,” or “previously burgled.”

If you come across any such markings, it’s crucial to take immediate action by reporting them to the police.

Cleaning companies often experience frequent staff changes, but they should always inform you in advance if they’re sending a new cleaner. If someone unfamiliar shows up unexpectedly, don’t allow them inside until you’ve confirmed their identity with the company.

Burglars may steal uniforms and job sheets to pose as cleaning staff, gaining entry to homes and discreetly unlocking windows or doors for a future break-in.

Yes, you heard that correctly. Beans, particularly kidney beans, are reportedly used by thieves to determine if a home is occupied.

If a pile of beans left on the doorstep is quickly cleaned up, it signals that someone is home. However, if they remain untouched for a few days, the house is likely empty and a prime target for a break-in.

If you live in a snowy area, it’s important to keep track of where you and your family have walked outside the house. This way, you’ll be able to quickly spot any suspicious footprints around your property.

While professional criminals are careful to cover their tracks, many amateurs make simple mistakes, giving you the chance to take action and safeguard your home.

Sometimes, burglars will knock on your door just to see if anyone is home. If you answer, they’ll quickly pretend it was a mistake, apologize, and leave. In most cases, this is genuinely harmless and nothing to worry about.

However, if you’ve already noticed other suspicious signs or if something just feels off, it’s wise to trust your instincts and double-check your locks.

Dogs are great deterrents for burglars, and criminals are aware of this. Before attempting a break-in, they might try to steal your dog to make things easier for themselves. While losing your dog would be heartbreaking, it’s important to stay calm and recognize that this could be a sign your home is being targeted.

Hopefully, your pet has simply wandered off and will return soon, but it’s still wise to tighten up your home security in case something more sinister is happening.

Seasoned criminals often use highly sophisticated tactics, and siphoning fuel is one of them. They may leave just enough gas for you to get to work, but not enough to return home, giving them more time to break into your house, steal valuables, and make a clean getaway.

If you notice your fuel gauge is lower than expected when getting into your car, consider asking someone to keep an eye on your home while you refuel.

If you notice scratches around your locks, it’s a clear indication that someone has attempted to break into your home. While they may have failed, it doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. The fact that your house was targeted suggests it could be seen as worth another attempt.

Any signs of tampering with your locks should be taken very seriously and reported to the police right away.

When burglars break into a home, they aim to steal as much as possible in one trip, which means they’ll need a spacious getaway vehicle—usually a van. To avoid attracting attention, they’ll typically park the van out of sight but close enough to the property they plan to target.

While seeing a van parked suspiciously near your home isn’t definitive proof of a crime, it’s certainly something to keep an eye on.

If you’ve recently received a random follow on Facebook or Instagram from someone you’ve never interacted with, it might just be a bot—or something more concerning.

Criminals have been known to create fake accounts on social media to monitor a person’s lifestyle and routine. To protect yourself, keep your personal life private and avoid sharing too much online.

Spotting a golf ball on your lawn might not seem suspicious—you’ll likely just assume it was left by accident. However, this is often a tactic burglars use to mark homes they plan to target.

As mentioned earlier, criminals frequently mark properties they deem worth robbing, returning later to break in under the cover of night. Golf balls are a common tool for marking because they’re unlikely to raise immediate suspicion.

Young children are particularly sensitive to changes, even if they don’t fully understand them, which can sometimes result in unusual behavior.

If your child mentions seeing a strange person peering through the windows or lingering outside at night, it’s important to take it seriously—don’t dismiss it as mere imagination.

If you’ve ever returned home to find a random piece of string tied to your fence or somewhere in your garden, it could be a reason for concern.

String is a common tool used by thieves to mark potential targets because it appears harmless. While it might have simply blown into your yard, it could just as easily have been placed there by someone with ill intentions.

A cheeky garden gnome can brighten anyone’s yard, but it may be serving a more sinister purpose.

While rare, thieves have been known to place garden gnomes outside homes they plan to target. The idea is that when the gnome is moved, it signals that someone is home.

Criminals may vandalize your home before a burglary to test your security systems and observe your response. They might break a window with a rock to check for alarms or disable motion-activated lights to make nighttime entry easier.

If you experience any such damage, it’s important to repair it promptly to show that you take security seriously, and be sure to report the incident to the police.

A knock at your door from someone selling a product can sometimes be more suspicious than it seems. If someone claims to be selling home security systems, be especially cautious—they may not be selling anything at all, but rather trying to gather details about the security systems you already have in place.

Never share any information with strangers. Simply decline their offer politely and ensure you lock the door after they leave.

It’s easy to dismiss an uneasy feeling as paranoia, but human instincts have evolved over thousands of years to protect us. In fact, studies show that gut feelings are often accurate, even when there seems to be no clear reason for them.

If you sense that your home is being watched, stay alert for other concrete signs and ensure your home security is in top shape.

Many people use a secure lockbox outside their home for a spare key, accessible with a code. While this is certainly safer than hiding a key under the welcome mat, it can still attract the attention of thieves.

If you notice scratches or signs of tampering on your lockbox, remove the spare key immediately and have the company inspect it to ensure it’s still secure.