Ex-Burglars share 35+ tips to avoid getting robbed

Feel secure in your neighborhood? Unfortunately, the US witnesses over 2.5 million break-ins each year, occurring every 26 seconds. While common tricks often fail to deter burglars, our guide offers tips from ex-burglars to protect you and your loved ones.

Don’t miss these surprising yet effective strategies!

A “Beware Of A Dog” Sign Is A Must

Burglars have a strong aversion to guard dogs. Even if you don’t have a dog, displaying a ‘Beware of Dog’ sign can deter potential intruders. Consider breeds like Rottweilers, German Shepherds, or Cane Corsos for added security, and enjoy the companionship of a new best friend.

Don’t Go For Obvious Hiding Spots

Most people hide their valuables in obvious places, like cupboards, visible bookshelves, or old suitcases. Yet, one person’s close call with losing thousands of dollars shows that thinking outside the box can be a lifesaver.

Don’t Tell Everyone About Your Upcoming Trips

Vacation is essential for many, but safeguarding your valuables becomes easier if you avoid sharing your travel plans on social media and making them public knowledge. Restrict details about your trips to a select few you trust, as being careless can make things simpler for burglars.

Verify Identities Before Letting Someone Enter Your Home

Many people don’t ask questions before letting someone into their home. Based on a Reddit user’s experience as a door-to-door salesperson, people often skip the important step of verifying the identity or credentials of visitors. Being cautious is crucial, as you never know who might be posing a threat.

Outsmart Burglars

This clever tip involves a unique way to keep burglars at bay. Instead of hiding your key under a doormat or a stone, consider using a decoy key. An experiment showed that some potential intruders, upon realizing it was a trick, quickly retreated.

Don’t Make It Easier For Burglars

Prevent your car from becoming an easy target for burglars. Be cautious and avoid leaving your vehicle readily accessible to strangers. Surprisingly, a significant number of people do leave their cars unlocked, making them vulnerable to burglary or theft.

Keep The Keys Away From The Front Door

While it may seem convenient, many homes keep their keys organized right by the front door, unwittingly making it easier for burglars to steal your car. To prevent this, consider leaving your everyday keys near the refrigerator instead.

Don’t Do The Obvious

While having a spare key is essential for emergencies, it’s crucial to avoid common hiding places like under the doormat, flowerpot, doorframe, or a fake rock. These locations are well-known to burglars, making it easier for them to access your home. Get creative and think of less obvious hiding spots.

Never Leave Valuables In Your Car

Leaving valuables in your car is akin to extending an invitation for theft. There’s no need to elevate the risk of burglary by leaving valuable items in plain view. It’s best to take your phone, laptop, wallet, and cards with you, rather than leaving them behind.

Always Lock The Windows

Locking the doors is a common practice, but surprisingly, many burglary incidents occur because people forget to secure their windows. For enhanced home security, always ensure your windows are locked. As a teenager, this individual took advantage of unlocked windows, offering a valuable lesson for all.

Never Store Jewelry In Closet

Burglars typically focus on hotspots and don’t have time to check every corner of a house. Closets, as one burglar mentioned, are a prime target for jewelry. While you may not entirely prevent a burglary, you can minimize the risk of losing valuable items by storing them in less conspicuous places.

Never Leave The Garage Open

Some leave their garage doors wide open overnight, which may seem lazy and careless. Surprisingly, this is a common oversight. If this tip from an ex-burglar doesn’t convince you to be cautious, it’s akin to leaving your valuables right outside your front door.

Maids Know It All

Here’s a useful tip for those who hire house cleaning companies: Secure your valuables before their arrival. This precaution is especially important because house cleaners have access to more areas in your home than other visitors, such as plumbers or cable installation personnel. Be mindful of your hiding spots.

Trick Them Into Stealing A Decoy

Owning a safe in your home has its advantages and disadvantages, but a Reddit user discovered the value of having a decoy safe. Consider purchasing an inexpensive safe and using it as a decoy. Burglars are likely to concentrate on the decoy safe, assuming it contains valuables, potentially leaving your other possessions untouched.

Use A Fake Door Key

We’ve learned that gluing down a door key or using a fake one can deter burglars. They tend to flee when they realize they’ve been tricked. Installing a doorbell camera is another smart way to keep an eye on potential intruders.

Ramp Up House Security

Ex-burglars often recommend enhancing home security as a top tip. Increasing security measures makes it significantly more challenging for burglars to break into your home, even if you reside in a densely populated neighborhood.

Deter Burglars With Lights

Burglars often strike when homeowners are away, especially during vacations. To enhance home security, invest in a smart lighting system that lets you control lights remotely. Randomly switching lights on and off gives the impression that someone is home, discouraging burglars.

Find A House Sitter

A Reddit user highlighted that burglars target the homes of deceased individuals, and to prevent this, consider finding a house sitter. This precaution can help avoid break-ins, especially during funerals when the house may become an easy target.

Make Sure To Mount The TV

A Reddit user provided a valuable tip to deter burglars from quickly stealing your electronics. While laptops are easy targets, mounting your TV can make a significant difference. Freestanding TVs can be swiftly taken, while a mounted TV would require more time to uninstall.

Make It Difficult For Them

Burglars aim to avoid lingering inside a house to minimize their chances of getting caught by homeowners or apprehended. As a result, they typically don’t want to spend more than 15 minutes inside, often overlooking inconvenient security and hiding spots.

Don’t Go For Small Lockboxes

While keeping valuables in a small lockbox may seem like a practical choice, it has notable drawbacks. Burglars can easily carry away a small safe, even if it’s hidden. They may assume it contains something valuable. Consider investing in a wall safe as a more secure alternative to a small lockbox.

Never Trust A Stranger

While some burglars prefer quick and easy heists, others take a more methodical approach. In a clever yet effective tactic, these burglars might ‘borrow’ something from a home and leave a heartfelt apology note, along with event tickets. When the homeowners are away, the burglars then execute their plan.

Medicine Cabinets Are Not Safe

Burglars may target not only valuable items like jewelry and cash but also essential medications, as noted by a Reddit user. To safeguard expensive medication or crucial items, it’s advisable to store them in a location other than the medicine cabinet.

Never Let Your Kids Answer The Door

Kids can inadvertently make it easier for burglars to gain access. Therefore, it’s best to avoid letting your kids answer the door, especially when you’re too busy. It’s a matter of better safe than sorry.

Your Safe Should Be Heavy Or Bolted

While investing in a safe is a wise choice to protect your valuables, it’s essential to understand that it’s not foolproof. Even if burglars can’t break into the safe, they can still carry it away if it’s not securely bolted or heavy enough.

Keep An Eye On Your Purse

Carrying a purse everywhere can pose a theft risk if you’re not vigilant. As highlighted by a Reddit user, it’s crucial to be cautious in parking lots. Consider placing your purse in the car before unloading items from the shopping cart to minimize the risk of theft.

They Even Steal Textbooks

While we often associate burglars with targeting obvious valuables like cash, debit/credit cards, electronics, and jewelry, one Reddit user issued a warning about less conventional items. Textbooks, for instance, can be stolen and resold for quick cash, making them easy targets, especially on college campuses.

Be Careful When Choosing Windows

When moving into a new home, you may not have immediate control over certain features like doors and windows. However, it’s advisable to consider some renovation. Burglars often prefer open windows for quiet and easy access. To enhance security, it’s a good idea to avoid windows that can be opened from the outside.

Go For Creative Hiding Spots

Ex-burglars stress the importance of being unique to safeguard your valuables. Installing a false outlet is a smart and creative idea, as it requires burglars to spend a lot of time inside your home searching among the outlets to identify the false one.

Cash And Jewelry Aren’t The Only Valuable Items

This Reddit user distinguishes between two types of burglars – those who know you and common burglars seeking quick hits. The advice is to avoid leaving valuable items in plain sight, as burglars can quickly grab them and make a hasty exit. A toolbox, for instance, may have good resale value.

Never Brag On Social Media

As you’ve learned, sharing your upcoming trips on social media can make you a target for burglars. The same caution should extend to flaunting expensive items. It’s wise not to showcase valuable possessions, as it can be perceived as an invitation to burglars.

Never Leave Valuables In Your Nightstand

This tip comes from someone who learned a valuable lesson the hard way. They were told by a cop that burglars tend to check typical spots like nightstands since they have very little time to search for valuables.

Let Someone Else Find Your Hiding Spots

If you’re concerned that burglars might easily spot your hiding spots, it’s a good idea to have a fresh pair of eyes, like your partner, family member, or a trusted friend, search for them. This advice comes from someone with a cop in the family, making it worth considering.

Keep Your Shed Locked

While many of us take extra precautions to enhance home security, we often overlook the garage or shed. A Reddit user issues a clear warning that an open shed contains various tools that can be used by burglars to gain access to your home. Take this warning seriously!

Go For Shatterproof Glass

Installing security glass is undoubtedly the most practical way to fortify your home against burglary attempts and break-ins. Another effective option is applying shatterproof film to all windows, preventing them from being easily broken. Consider these solutions for added security and peace of mind.

Prepare For The Worse

Despite all efforts to enhance home security and cleverly hide valuables, there’s still a chance of a burglar gaining ample time to break in. It’s wise to keep highly valuable items off-site. This tip can be invaluable, ensuring that even in the event of a break-in, your most prized possessions remain safe.

Start Considering The Basement

We’ve previously covered various ways to hide valuables inside your home. This tip, shared by an ex-burglar with 30 years of regret, suggests using the basement to conceal valuables. It can be particularly useful for middle-class homeowners, as burglars often won’t have the time to search through numerous old items in the basement or attic.

Get Home Security Cameras

Ex-burglars often emphasize the effectiveness of home security cameras as a deterrent. Investing in a security camera system and displaying a sign that suggests surveillance, such as ‘You’re Being Watched,’ can significantly enhance your home security.

Sliding Glass Doors Are Not Secure Enough

While sliding glass doors are popular among homeowners, one ex-burglar advises against using them. They believe that the various security measures for sliding glass doors may not be effective. Given the security risk they pose, it’s worth considering alternative door options to avoid taking any chances.

The Freezer Hiding Spot Is Common

Hiding valuables in the freezer or a book might seem smart, but it’s become a common practice that burglars are aware of. A Reddit user, who learned from their ex-burglar, cautions against these hiding spots as they may not be secure.

Frequently Mow The Lawn

We’ve discussed using smart lights to simulate occupancy while you’re away. Keeping your lawn well-maintained by mowing it regularly can also deter burglars, as overgrown grass can signal an extended absence and make your home a potential target.

Don’t Give Them A Reason

When people buy new items and leave the boxes near the garbage bin, it signals to potential burglars that the house might be a worthwhile target. To avoid this, if you purchase valuable items, it’s wise to break down the boxes rather than leaving them in plain sight.

Outsmart Them With Fake Jewelry

To outsmart burglars, consider using less obvious hiding places. Create a decoy by filling a fake jewelry box with some money on top. This can trick burglars into thinking they’ve found valuables, potentially making them leave without targeting your real treasures.

Fireproof Safe Problem

While fireproof safes can protect your valuables from fire damage, they do not guarantee protection from theft. While they offer fire protection, their security against theft may vary.

Locked Drawers Often Become The Obvious Target

Burglars often focus on valuables when breaking into a home. Locked drawers can attract their attention, as they expect to find something valuable. Strangely, leaving a drawer unlocked, though counterintuitive to keeping items safe, may trick a burglar into thinking it’s empty.

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