When in doubt, ask a former scumbag out.
Do you think your neighborhood is safe? Unfortunately, in the US alone there are more than 2.5 million robberies a year, which means that a robbery occurs every 26 seconds. Thieves will most likely laugh out loud at the common “one light on” trick, but there are plenty of ways to outsmart them. When someone enters your house, it not only affects you financially, but also psychologically. Here we’ve put together a list of practical tips shared by former thieves that will keep you and your loved ones safe. You won’t believe how you’ve overlooked some of these things until now!
The sign “Beware of the dog” is essential
There is one thing that thieves hate, and that is guard dogs. Even if you don’t have a dog, it won’t hurt to put up this sign to mislead potential thieves.
There are many potential guard dog options, such as the Rottweiler, German Shepherd, or Cane Corso. Not only will you get additional protection for your home, but you will also gain a new best friend.
Don’t look for obvious hiding places
Most people hide their valuables in obvious places, such as a closet, a visible shelf, or an old suitcase. However, hiding your valuables in plain sight isn’t always best.
Look at the following story, for example. This person almost had tens of thousands of dollars stolen from him, but hiding them in an inconspicuous place ended up saving the day. Creativity is the key!
Don’t tell everyone about your upcoming trips
Going on vacation is a necessity for some. However, it would certainly help keep your valuables safe if you refrained from announcing your travel plans on social media and made them public knowledge.
Limit information about your upcoming trips to a few important people in your life. If you are not careful, you will be making the job easier for thieves.
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Always verify identities before letting anyone into your home
Although this advice doesn’t come from a burglar, it makes perfect sense because many people never ask questions before letting someone into their home.
The Reddit user worked as a door-to-door salesman and discovered that people are either too busy or too lazy to ask for ID or credentials before allowing someone into their home. You never know, they could be thieves.
Outsmart the thieves
This is a unique tip that makes a lot of sense. You can keep a thief away with a pretty clever plan. Many owners hide the key under the doormat or a stone. It has become commonplace, and thieves also know that.
This person experimented with it and found that some people tried to pick up the fake key and immediately ran away when they realized it was a trick.
Don’t make it easier for thieves, please
You don’t want the thief to say, “Wow, that was easy.” Make sure your car is out of reach of strangers. If you are not careful, your vehicle may end up being stolen or broken into.
You may think that no one leaves their car keys behind. However, the truth is that a surprising number of people leave their cars unlocked.
Keep keys away from the front door
Most homes have keys organized next to the front door. It may seem convenient, but in reality you are making it much easier for thieves to take the keys and run away with your car.
To prevent this from happening, it would be best to leave your keys next to the refrigerator every day.
Don’t do the obvious
We understand that having a spare key is necessary, since you may lose or forget the original one. However, it would be best to never store spare keys under a doormat, a flower pot, on top of a door frame, or under a fake rock.
Too many people put their spare keys in these obvious places, making it easy for thieves to find them. Be creative and think outside the box.
Never leave valuables in the car
Leaving valuables in the car is like challenging or inviting someone to come and take them. Why increase the risk of theft by leaving something valuable in plain sight?
It would be best if you took your phone, laptop, wallet and cards with you, rather than leaving them behind.
Always close the windows
Most of us lock the doors before leaving the house or going to bed. However, a surprising number of burglaries are due to people forgetting to close their windows.
For maximum security in your home, always keep the windows closed. I’m sure this person took great advantage of unlocked windows when he was a teenager. So there you have a lesson to learn.
Never store jewelry in the closet
A burglar does not have enough time to check every corner of the house. So they tend to focus on hot spots, like the closet. As one thief said, closets are like a gold mine for jewelry.
Even if you can’t prevent a theft, you can reduce the risk of losing something valuable. Therefore, it would be best to store your valuables in less obvious places.
Never leave the garage open
This former thief shared that some people leave the garage door open overnight, and we thought why are people so lazy and careless. Well, it’s not entirely false, because people leave the garage door wide open all the time.
If this advice from a former thief doesn’t convince anyone, better put all your valuables outside the front door.
The maids know everything
This person shared a helpful tip for those hiring home cleaning companies. Put valuables in a safe place before calling a cleaning company.
It makes a lot of sense, because house cleaners will see more of your home than other visitors, such as a plumber or cable installer. That is why you must be careful with your hiding places.
Trick them into stealing a decoy
Having a safe at home has its pros and cons. But one Reddit user discovered that having a decoy safe could be super useful for storing your valuables.
Try buying a cheap safe and use it as a decoy. Thieves will focus entirely on the safe, as they will assume there is something valuable inside and may leave other items behind.
Use a fake door key
We already know that taping the key to the door can deter a thief. This Reddit user has discovered that using a fake key also scares away thieves.
Since thieves try to do everything quickly, they can run away as soon as they realize they have fallen into the trap. Another Reddit user added that installing a camera on your doorbell is a great way to see the thief.
Increase security at home
One piece of advice that most ex-burglars have given homeowners is to increase the level of security. Having more security will make it more difficult for thieves to enter your home.
Even if you live in a populated neighborhood, increasing security will make your home safer on the block.
Deter thieves with lights
In most cases, thieves break into your home when you are away. They usually take time to monitor the movements of the owners before taking the big step. That’s why your home is more vulnerable when you go on a trip.
One way to minimize the risk of your home being burglarized is to invest in a smart lighting system that you can easily turn on and off. Make sure you turn on the lights randomly. This will make thieves think that the owners are still home.
Find a House Sitter
One Reddit user pointed out that thieves break into the homes of deceased people, and you can prevent this by finding a house sitter.
This tip can help prevent theft, since everyone will be at the funeral, making the house an easy target.
Make sure you mount the TV
One Reddit user offered a tip that can prevent thieves from making off with your electronics quickly. Although laptops are fair game, the TV must be mounted.
Thieves can easily pick up and run with a free-standing TV, and a mounted TV requires time to uninstall.
make it difficult
A thief who steals from a house would not want to stay long. After all, staying inside would increase the chances of being discovered or even arrested by the homeowners.
That’s why thieves don’t want to spend more than 15 minutes inside. That means they will most likely ignore security issues and hiding places.
Don’t opt for small safes
Storing valuables in a small safe may seem like a good idea, but it has clear disadvantages. You’ll be keeping everything valuable in a small safe that a thief can easily make off with.
Even if the safe is hidden somewhere, a thief will assume that there must be something inside worth stealing. Therefore, you should invest in a wall safe instead of a small safe deposit box.
Never trust a stranger
While some thieves want to get things done without much hassle, others like to take their time.
This method of breaking into people’s homes is clever and effective, as they “borrow” something and leave a heartfelt note of apology along with tickets to an event. And when the owners are away, thieves strike hard.
Not even first aid kits are safe
Thieves aren’t just looking for expensive jewelry or cash. They can also take your essential medications, as this Reddit user pointed out.
If you have expensive medications or something that you really need, it is recommended to store them somewhere other than the medicine cabinet.
Never let your children open the door
This tip is very important because children will not suspect or question anyone who tries to enter your house.
Children can become an easy target for burglars as they can let anyone into the house. So even if you are too busy to open the door, you should prevent your children from doing so. It’s better to prevent than to cure.
Your safe must be heavy or bolted
Investing in a safe seems like one of the best ways to protect your valuables. However, you should know that it is not as foolproof as you might think.
Even if thieves are unable to break into the safe, they can take it if it is not locked or is not heavy enough.
Watch your bag
If you carry a bag everywhere, there is always the possibility of it being stolen if you are not careful. Unfortunately, when it comes to bags, they get stolen pretty quickly.
This Reddit user has warned others to watch their bags in parking lots. It would be best to put your bag in the car first before unloading the items from the shopping cart.
They even steal textbooks
We believe thieves go for obvious valuables, such as cash, debit or credit cards, electronics and jewelry. However, one Reddit user warned people about things we don’t necessarily consider valuable.
Thieves can steal textbooks and resell them for quick money. Your textbooks are easy targets, especially on campus.
Be careful when choosing windows
If you move into a house, you don’t have control over certain things, like the doors or windows. However, it would be best if you considered a small renovation as soon as possible.
A thief can avoid breaking the window and will try to enter your home through an open window. You don’t want windows that can be opened from the outside, as they will offer a quieter and easier way to enter your home.
Find creative hiding places
So far you’ve noticed that former thieves have stressed the importance of timing and how they look for obvious places to find valuables. That’s why you have to be unique to make it harder for them to find your money, jewelry, or other valuables.
Opting for a faux outlet is a perfect example of how you can get creative. It can work because a thief would have to spend a while inside your house to check all the plugs and identify the fake one.
Money and jewelry are not the only valuables
This Reddit user has pointed out that there are two types of thieves: those who know you and common thieves who try to get in and out as quickly as possible.
This person recommended never having valuables in sight, as thieves can easily grab them and leave. There is an example of a toolbox that has good resale value.
Never brag on social media
You already know that advertising your future trips on social media can make you an easy target for thieves. The same rules also apply to the display of expensive objects.
If you have something valuable inside your home, don’t brag about it. After all, a thief would take it as an invitation.
Never leave valuables on your nightstand
This advice comes from a person who learned it the hard way. They learned the lesson of never leaving valuables on the nightstand.
The police officer told the Reddit user that a thief checks the usual places since he has very little free time.
Let someone else find your hiding places
If you fear that a thief could easily find the hiding places, consider getting a fresh set of eyes to look for them. If your partner, a family member, or a trusted friend can find the hiding places, you need to find other creative places.
This advice comes from a person whose uncle is a police officer. So you should keep that in mind.
Keep your shed closed
Most of us tend to take extra precautionary measures to increase home security, but we often ignore the garage or shed.
This Reddit user clearly warns you that in an open shed there are numerous tools that can be used to access your home. Don’t take this warning lightly!
Choose shatterproof glass
Installing security glass is, without a doubt, the most practical way to protect your home against attempted robberies and break-ins.
You can also apply the shatterproof film to all windows to prevent them from breaking easily. You should definitely consider this solution for added security and peace of mind.
Prepare for the worst
Even if you try everything to strengthen the security of your home and choose the most creative hiding places, there is a chance that a thief will break into your house with time to spare. That is why it is better to store valuables outside the home.
If you have something very valuable, this tip may be useful to you. Even in case of theft, you will not lose your most valuable possessions.
Start considering the basement
We have already talked about how you can hide valuables inside your house. This advice about considering the basement to hide valuables comes from a former thief who sincerely regrets choosing the wrong path 30 years ago.
The advice may be useful for middle-class homeowners, since thieves will not have enough time to go through so many old items in the basement or attic.
Get home security cameras
You can find tons of home security equipment and measures on the market. According to many former thieves, having security cameras at home is an effective deterrent against burglars.
It would be best to invest in a security camera system. You can also put up a sign, something like “You are being watched.”
Sliding glass doors are not safe enough
Although sliding glass doors are popular with homeowners, one former burglar advises against using them. You can find many ways to protect sliding glass doors from burglars, but this particular person is sure they won’t work.
Since sliding glass doors pose a security risk, you should consider other door options. Why take the risk?
The freezer hideout is common, don’t trust it
Although using the freezer to hide valuables may seem like a clever place at first, you should know that this idea has become quite common, which means that thieves know about it too.
This Reddit user learned from his ex, who turned out to be a thief, that hiding valuables and money in a freezer or in a book is not safe.
Show your presence by mowing your lawn frequently
We’ve already talked about how to use smart lights to make it look like someone is staying home even when you’re away. You can also mow your lawn frequently to avoid becoming a potential target.
Overgrown grass indicates that the owners have been out of town too long. It’s a green signal for a potential thief.
Don’t give them a reason
This advice is quite logical because people buy new things and leave the boxes near the trash can. It’s a clear signal to a potential burglar that breaking into your home is worth the risk.
So, if you buy expensive things, don’t throw the boxes near the trash can. Instead, break the boxes.
Outsmart them with fake jewelry
We know that thieves are more tempted by less obvious hiding places. You can use this point to your advantage. By filling a fake jewelry box and some money on top, you can trick a thief into thinking he’s hit the jackpot.
If it works, there’s a good chance they’ll avoid the actual valuables and leave the place knowing they’ve gotten what they wanted.
Fireproof safe problem
People who buy fireproof safes expect them to protect their valuables from fire and theft.
A fireproof safe can ensure that your valuables remain unharmed in the event of a house fire, but it does not guarantee that they will be safe from theft.
Closed drawers often become the obvious target
A thief enters a house to steal only valuables. That’s why when they see that a drawer is closed, they immediately think that there must be something valuable inside.
Although leaving the drawer unlocked is contrary to the concept of keeping your belongings safe, it can fool a thief into believing that there is nothing valuable inside.
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