Tis the Season...for Theft Prevention

5 Tips to Keeps Your Belongings Safe from Holiday Theft

 

 

 

The holidays are a cheerful time, but while you’re celebrating, someone may be eyeing those new gifts. Beware of the burglars waiting to get their hands on your presents.

 

According to Nationwide claims data over the past three years, there were nearly 15,000 home thefts during the holidays and travel months of November, December and January.

Here are 5 tips to help avoid being a victim of theft over the holidays:

1. Save the status updates for later

Four out of five burglars used social networks last year to find out when people were not home.

 

Telling friends and family your holiday plans on social media may seem harmless, but that social media message can be an advertisement to burglars that says, “I’m not home.” Don’t let your social media behavior while you’re gone put your home at risk for a burglary.

2. Add home security devices to your gift list

Adding these items to your wish list can offer some extra protection:

• Sensor-triggered lighting
• Motion-activated webcams
• Smart phone home security

Also look into technology that lets you connect with your phone for 24/7 surveillance when you’re on the go.

3. Close the curtains before turning in

Open blinds may invite unwanted eyes, allowing thieves to check out the layout of your home, or view your belongings.

4. Don’t leave ladders up after decorating

Ladders can help a burglar gain access to your home. Once you’ve hung the outdoor lights, store the ladders and tools in a locked shed or garage.

5. Create categorized inventory lists

Put your gift list-making skills to good use and keep an ongoing record of items in your home. Free apps like Know Your Stuff can help you take inventory with pre-programmed categories and locations.

 

An inventory list will come in handy if you have Brand New Belongings insurance* coverage, which can help replace your insured belongings if they’re stolen or destroyed – regardless of age or condition.

*Optional feature. Exclusions and limits apply. Damaged items may be repaired in some cases. Details vary by state and policy language. Please consult your policy for the specifics of your selected coverages. Subject to underwriting guidelines, review, and approval.

7 Social Media Vacation Safety Tips

"We're Not Home"

 

Beautiful sunsets, breathtaking mountain scenes, a photo op with a celebrity—vacations are a social media gold mine.

 

When you’re lying by the beach or touring a historic landmark, it might be exciting to share a picture of the view on Instagram or tweet your Grand Canyon Foursquare check-in. But that social media message can be an advertisement to burglars that says, “I’m not home.”

 

 

A recent Nationwide Insurance survey reveals that 14 percent of homeowners use social media to post updates, share photos or check into locations on Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare while they’re on vacation. For Gen Yers (18-34 year olds), this percentage jumps to 41 percent.

 

According to an article in Time Magazine, it’s estimated that 78 percent of burglars now use social media to choose the location of their next break-in.

 

And search features like Facebook’s new Graph Search tool could make the research even easier for thieves. Now burglars can quickly find out who checked in at tourist attractions or easily comb through timeline photos for vacation pictures.

 

Don’t let your social media behavior during vacation put your home at risk for a burglary. Here are seven social media safety tips for your next vacation:

Before vacation:

1. Resist the “I’m going on vacation” social media announcement

• You might want to brag to your friends that you’ll be on the beach for the next seven days, but resist the urge to post or tweet about it.

2. Disable location-identifying settings

• Smart phones, tablets and laptops have location services that identify where you are by using GPS or Wi-Fi hotspots. By disabling the location-identifying settings, your geographic location won’t be captured if you tweet or post.

3. Check your Facebook tagging settings

• Facebook’s privacy settings allow you to manage the posts and photos you’re tagged in. Prevent tagged posts from automatically appearing on your timeline by enabling the timeline review control. Then you can approve pictures snapped by friends or family during vacation after you get home.And while you’re adjusting your Facebook tagging settings for that vacay, take a few minutes to double check the rest of your social media privacy settings.

During vacation:

4. Don’t check in or post about vacation

• Check-ins on Foursquare and Facebook are a no-no while you’re on vacation—and so is tweeting about it. By pinning your exact location on a social media virtual map like Foursquare, your friends will know where you are—and burglars will know where you aren’t.

5. Capture the incredible moments

• Take photos and jot down the social media messages you’d normally say about the experience. Consider using a social media management website to write posts and tweets, then schedule them to post after you return home.

6. Blog now—publish later

• Blogging during your vacation is a great way to capture all the details of your experience. When you finish writing the post, save it as a draft instead of publishing it.

After vacation:

7. Share

• Once you get home, recap your vacation with friends and family by sharing the photos from your trip and publishing your blog posts.

Pass these tips along to your fellow vacationers (friends, family and kids) so their social media behavior on vacation doesn’t put your home at risk for burglary.

Check out more home theft prevention tips and test your home burglary knowledge with our quiz on common home break-in statistics.