7 Easy Ways to Keep Your Home Safe from Break-Ins

As one of the most common crimes, burglary is nothing to be taken lightly. Did you know that a burglary takes place every 18.2 seconds in the United States? That adds up to nearly 200 per hour, 4,800 per day, and 1,752,000 every year!

And unlike common belief, most of these burglaries happen in the middle of the day. According to the National Council for Home Safety and Security, break-ins are more likely to happen between 6 AM and 6 PM, right in the middle of the day!

Here are some helpful tips on how to prevent would-be thieves from making it YOUR house they break into:

Don't showboat.

If you've just purchased a pricey new computer or television, break down the box and place it in the garbage bin instead of leaving it on the curb for everyone to see. Also, take a walk around your house to see how visible expensive items are with the curtains open. You may want to move some of them out of view to avoid enticing thieves.

Pretend to be home.

A break-in typically happens when no one is home, especially during the day while many people are at work. For that reason, create an illusion that someone is still there. You can leave a light on, along with music or your television.

Secure sliding doors and windows.

You can easily break into some older sliding doors by simply popping them off of their frame, even when locked. It's harder to do that with newer ones, but you should still take extra precautions to secure them since they can be an inviting entry for burglars. Simply take a strong dowel, steel bar, or two-by-four and slide it into the back groove.

Although you should always lock your windows before leaving the house, you can install a simple pin or nail into the frame to stop it from raising more than a few inches. This will add an additional layer of security in case someone pops off the screen and you have left the window unlocked. Also, remember to check window air conditioning units. If you can jimmy the window up from the outside, add a stopper to that frame.

Don't leave a spare key out.

It may seem like a good idea to leave a spare key hidden under a flowerpot or doormat in case you get locked out of your house. But that's an open invitation for a burglar to walk inside without any difficulty. Instead, give a spare to a neighbor you know well or a friend who lives nearby for safekeeping.

Remember to never put any identifying information on your house keys. If you lose them, and someone else finds them, it would be fairly easy to trace them back to your home and break in.

Secure your yard.

Tall shrubs and overgrown trees are welcome hiding places for criminals to wait until the coast is clear to get into your house. That doesn't mean you need to cut down every plant in your yard. Just keep things manicured.

Prepare before vacation.

• Alert trusted neighbors about your trip and ask that they keep an eye on your property.

• Don’t leave signs of an empty house.

  • Don’t leave messages on your phone about being out of town.

  • Avoid having your mail pile up by having a neighbor collect it for you.

  • Don’t leave your lawn overgrown.

  • Make sure you delay newspaper services so they aren’t strewn across the yard.

  • Avoid posting vacation photos on social media until you return home.

Lock it up.

More than 40% of break-ins happen without the use of force, which means a lot of people are leaving their houses without locking the doors and windows. If you have a thumb latch lock and a deadbolt on your doors, always lock the deadbolt. Double-check weaker doors such as patio and sliding ones to make sure their locks are strong enough to withstand kicks. When you leave your home, don't forget to lock up the door leading from the garage inside. Even if your garage door is down, someone can easily open it.

Protect Yourself Against Phishing

If you're a busy person who's always on the go, you probably check your email on your phone. Gartner reports that almost 75% of smartphone owners use their devices to check their email. And if you're really on the go, you read your email quickly. In fact, Movable Ink's US Consumer Device Preference Report of 2014 via Email Monday states that most mobile users only spend about 10 seconds viewing each message. 10 seconds isn't a long time especially if you're multitasking. How many of you are guilty of reading your email while walking down the hall, sidewalk, or cafeteria?

Combine the quickness of our culture plus the growth of phishing, and you've got an increased risk for identity theft. Phishing (pronounced like fishing) is the activity of defrauding an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company.

According to a Google study, phishing emails work 45% of the time. Typically, these scams are obvious. The email will contain numerous spelling errors or words that are out of place. But sometimes, if you're not paying close enough attention, you'll be dangerously convinced into providing confidential information.

Take for instance this email I received a few weeks ago. It looks legitimate and there's even a recognizable logo. But, I knew I hadn't purchased anything from iTunes in several weeks, so this message alarmed me. Look at the third paragraph: "It was only sent to alert you in case you did not initiate the download yourself." I instantly panicked and thought someone else had my credit card information and was making purchases. This message made me stupidly reactionary. I followed the instructions on the rest of the message and before you know it, I was verifying payment details that had not in fact been compromised. I quickly realized my mistake but it was too late. I'd given these scammers confidential financial information. Thankfully my credit card company canceled my card and sent me a new one, but what if my gut instinct didn't set in? What if I was new to mobile email and didn't think twice?

Next time you see a suspicious email, slow down and think twice. If you're uncertain about the message; call the sender, speak to a customer service representative and verify the request asked.