What do burglars look like? They could be anyone. They can come to your door pretending to be various individuals – utility company operatives, roofers, electricians, plumbers and even plain-clothes police. Always check ID of anyone and phone their office to verify their identity.
The elderly, particularly those who live alone, and the weak in general, are their favourite targets.
How they work: To legitimise their presence and reassure the victim, some well-organized criminals advertise their visits through a display in the building. They arrive (usually in pairs) and proclaim their reason for entering (sweeping ducts, checking heating systems, etc.). They may notice your valuables at a glance and then distract your attention away from them (by asking for a drink of water, for example) to take them.
How to safeguard yourself: Open your door only to someone who has presented you with a professional card or who you have expected to appear – say, for a plumbing appointment.If in doubt, it’s better to cancel the plumber’s visit than to let a burglar in!
Burglars make use of social media, but who are their true targets? And how can you defend yourself against these more targeted attacks?
Burglars: They are now organised and spend a lot of time scoping put potential targets online. They establish Instagram profiles, as well as Facebook and Twitter accounts, so they can monitor you on social media and see whether you’re away. Or they wait outside your house for you to leave so they can break in while you’re not there. They’re watching what you’re doing online to time break-ins when you’re away and to see what you have to steal.
Isolated properties in rural locations, as well as second homes, are frequent targets, with robberies occurring numerous times a few months apart.
How they work: Individuals go “scouting” their victims under false pretences in order to collect as much information as possible about their family, your precious possessions, and your deterrents—similar to those who perpetrate fraud (watchdogs, surveillance cameras, or alarms, etc.). These “notes” are then passed over to the gang, who schedules the burglary based on the residents’ presence hours.
How to defend yourself: Be wary of anyone who comes to your house without an appointment and without showing evidence of identification or a professional card, just as you would be wary of fraud.
Some insecure garage doors or older windows can be breached very easily with the most basic of equipment.
For a thief, windows, particularly those on the ground level, are an easy target. It’s so simple to leave a window open by mistake in the summer. In this instance, a burglar would have little trouble breaking in. In addition, flat-head screwdrivers may be used to raise windows.
Keep in mind that double-glazed windows are much more durable. You may also put metal bars in front of your windows to prevent intruders from getting inside. Close the shutters carefully if you’re going to be gone for a time. Electric shutters are also an effective deterrent against theft.
For robbers, a garage connected to the home via an internal door is the holy grail of easy break-ins. A manual up and over garage door is generally fairly simple to open and close, which they can then close behind them and work on the internal door from the garage into the house unseen.
How can burglars get easy access to a manual garage door? They utilise a basic coat hanger that they completely unfurl, and they use the hook to pull the latch that holds the garage door’s manual opening mechanism.
Anything from a hair pin to an electric toothbrush may be used to overcome a door lock.
When robbers discover that the house is unprotected, they choose one of four basic burglary strategies. These plots centre on a break-in via the front entrance. The “manhole” approach, for example, involves the robber striking the bottom portion of the door with a strong kick or a crowbar.
For a seasoned thief, this strategy will take no more than ten minutes. The thug will just need to enter an item into the lock to unlock the door after the cylinder has been pulled off or broken. A thief may also easily detach the hinges of a door with a crowbar. The last method is to place a strong item between the door and its frame. The door lock points will finally come loose with enough pressure to enable the burglar to securely enter your property.
So, what can you do to keep intruders out of your house?
Burglars aren’t fooled by just leaving a light on, other measures need to be taken.
Take care of your grass if you live on the ground level or in a garden apartment to show thieves that you are present.
If your neighbours are there to guard you and look after your house while you are away, talking to them might save your life.
An actual dog or even a recording of a dog barking may deter intruders from attempting to break into your house. When they break in, they don’t want to run into one and risk getting bitten.
Install high-quality detectors, cameras, and alarms.
Passports, bank details and driver’s licences should be kept on you or in a locked safe. Criminals prize them, and they might be exploited in identity theft.
Place obvious deterrents all around the perimeter of your house to show intruders that you’re tougher than they are.
For burglar alarm systems in Glasgow & central Scotland, Ultimate Alarms is here for you whether you’re in Cumbernauld, Clydebank, Carluke or wherever. Get in touch with Ultimate today to discuss your home security requirements & arrange a free quotation.
