You always double-check to make sure you’ve locked your home’s doors and set the alarm before you leave. But are you unknowingly leaving other doors wide open, so to speak?
Today’s criminal is more crafty and tech-savvy than ever before. They can gain access to your home and clean you out in ways that you never see coming.
With that in mind, here are a few every day things that today’s criminals are really hoping you do.
1. Leaving Your Garage Door Opener in Your Car
Always make sure your garage door is locked, as we have recently seen a rise in thieves gaining access to GTA homes through an unlocked garage.
However, we have also seen a rise in thieves gaining access to a home via garage door openers that homeowners have left in their unlocked car. This makes it far too easy for thieves to stroll in and out of your home, without having to use a crowbar or breaking a window.
You can avoid this by taking advantage of the Wi-Fi capabilities in today’s modern garage door openers to:
Take the remote out of the equation completely by using your phone as a remote
Check your door remotely and lock or unlock as you please
If the time has come to replace your garage door in Toronto or anywhere else in the GTA, you can get a safe and secure model for less money than you probably think.
2. Posting Your Travel Plans on Social Media
Going to the cottage this weekend? Or heading down south over the winter? Don’t brag about it on Facebook or Instagram until you get back.
Data from the property-casualty insurance provider, Assurant, reveals that almost 40 percent of renters post about their vacation while they’re out of town. This alerts thieves to the fact that your home is currently empty.
You’re in the Muskokas and you post a dockside photo with #blessed. However, by the time you get home, it will be #robbed. Wait until you’re securely back home before you start to upload pictures. You will likely save a fortune on cellular data too.
3. Leaving the Spare Keys in Obvious Places
You have left your spare key under the flowerpot for your teenager or your dog walker. How long do you think it will take a would-be burglar to find it?
Avoid hiding your key:
In the mailbox
On top of the door frame
Under the flowerpot
Under the doormat
Also, avoid buying one of those fake rocks that can hide a key. These fake rocks almost always look, well, too fake. People will also leave them in a wide-open and obvious position, so that the person they want to let in doesn’t have any trouble getting in. The bad news is burglars won’t have any trouble getting in either.
The bottom line is that you always want to make it as difficult as possible for thieves to enter your home so that they will see it as too much work and move on. However, if you’re advertising your travel plans, leaving your garage vulnerable or leaving your spare key out in the open, you might as well leave your front door wide open.
Take a little bit more care and your home will be a lot safer.
