You do all you can to make your home safe and secure. In a time where so many people are brazen enough to just walk inside your home and take your treasures, it is best to arm yourself to the max. Knowing how burglars operate can help you better strategize your defense. With that in mind, we at Texan Lock and Key have compiled a list of common tricks and tactics burglars rely on to break into your home in an effort to help fortify your castle.
Professional Burglar Secrets
1) Door Locks. One of the most frequently used methods is to focus on bypassing your door’s locks; whether it is your house, business, or even the vehicle. The job is easier when lifting your possessions and they opt to make the task as quick and simple as possible to avoid being caught. To draw less attention to their actions, burglars will try bypassing the lock before resorting to damaging it. To do so, locks are picked, bumped, or snapped by the burglars. In some cases, the burglars will resort to drilling the lock or simply kicking the door if they are desperate and don’t think anyone is nearby.
2) Windows. Windows are a vulnerable and will frequently be treated like a lock to many burglars. The windows require little manpower to compromise their security. More often than not, these sinister people are able to just open the window as the homeowners neglect locking the windows. The windows typically selected are the ones that are concealed by vegetation to offer them more cover. Two story buildings that have accessible windows are also targeted because many owners assume that they are unreachable and are indifferent towards locking them up. It is important that homeowners and business owners ensure the windows and doors are locked on a daily bases before leaving or going to bed.
3) Stakeouts. If there is a specific property that appeals to the criminal minded or they know of a valuable item inside, it is fairly common for the burglar to stakeout the building first. They study the daily interactions and your habits to plan their activities.
4) Door-To-Door Inspection. Often apart of the stakeouts, burglars will pose as a solicitor of sorts to scope out the interior of the building for their plans as well as extract as much information as they can from you without looking obvious.
5) Garage. When the windows and locks are not available with optimal circumstances, burglars will exploit the secondary entry points, especially garages. As the garage door is not properly secured, some criminals will skip the windows and doors and take advantage of unknowing homeowners and use the minimal security of the garage door. Not only are garage doors not adequately secured, but it also provides more concealment; giving burglar’s ample time and opportunity to get all they want.
6) Social Media. Social media is often disregarded as any kind of aid to criminals. Too many people insist on sharing far too many details of their life. If the wrong people want to monitor your social media, they don’t necessarily need to be your friend in order to do it. These people find ways around the privacy settings and will get useful information simply by reading your posts and updates. They especially pay attention to events where gifts are plentiful, such as Christmas and birthdays as well as when everyone has left the home for a specific amount of time, particularly vacations and get-a-ways.
7) Earn your Trust. Some scam artists go to such lengths as becoming a trusted acquaintance, friend, employee, or other such person your life. These situations are usually opportunistic though there are cases where targets where specifically engaged. When the time is right and they have your trust, your guard is down, and the opportunity arises, these crafty individuals will exploit their relationship and make off with a treasure trove.
8) Practice. Some burglars commonly use the repeat visit methods. They will come by to check the windows, another time to test the lock’s integrity, another to calculate the timing, and so on. Sometimes these people leave behind small details of their visit and those more observant can cue in on them. Such as the lock looks tampered with, though the window is locked it is slightly shifted out of place; some nearby shrubs have broken branches or crushed down by weight.
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To help minimize your home being victimized, avoid over sharing on social media, routinely ensure windows and doors are locked, keep the landscaping well manicured and the trees and bushes thinned out. Also consider home security systems complete with alarms and video surveillance. Finally, have Texan Lock and Key audit the integrity of your locks. Our experts will present optimal solutions to ensure all the locks, including to the garage door. Contact us today!
