INDUSTRY INSIGHT
INSURANCE
SPONSORED CONTENT
THINK LIKE A THIEF
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA COULD MAKE YOUR HOME A
TARGET FOR BURGLARS
I
t’s summertime, it’s been a long year at work and you’re excited to
be taking a well-earned week of vacation. So of course it’s natural
that you would like to share this excitement with friends and
family, and what better place than on Facebook.
What seems like a harmless update can advertise your weeklong
absence to wrong types of people. Career thieves make their living by
knowing when people’s homes are at their most vulnerable.
In Nashua, New Hampshire, a crime ring linked to 18 robberies was
apprehended by police. In just one month they had robbed 18 homes
by monitoring Facebook pages and determining when a target would
be out of their home.
Rather than sitting in a car in the neighborhood to case a break-in
on someone’s house, a crafty thief can do this from his home
computer on a large scale.
Even more dangerous than Facebook are modern-day
smartphones and certain applications that will broadcast your
location to others. One such application is Foursquare, which allows
you to “check in” to places you visit, such as restaurants and other
locations, then automatically post that information publicly so that
friends know what you are up to.
The danger with announcing to the world that you are at your
favorite burger joint is that it lets everyone know where you definitely
are not… home.
Even worse, some people will even “check in” at their own home,
which broadcasts your exact address publicly as well. Be very cautious
about any phone application that wants to use your current location
via GPS. Make sure whether a program has any features that will
broadcast your current location and if so, make sure that this feature
is disabled.
Of course social media isn’t the only way people can leave their
homes vulnerable to burglary. Here are some ways to keep your
home safe when on vacation and throughout the year.
Always make your home look occupied. This may mean leaving a
couple of lights on, or having them set on timers. If on an extended
leave, don’t let deliveries of mail, newspapers, or fliers build up in your
mailbox or front yard. Have your post office hold your mail or have a
friend drop by to pick up it up for you daily.
Make it hard for a thief to get into your home. Make sure to keep
your garage doors closed and locked. All exterior doors need to
have high-quality deadbolt locks. Sliding glass doors are especially
vulnerable and should be secured with a bar or large dowel rod to
keep them from being opened. Also be sure to not only have lockable
windows but to actually close and lock them when you leave the
house for short periods of time; it only takes a thief a few minutes to
pry open an unlocked window and steal thousands of dollars of your
possessions, and carry them out using your own luggage.
Secure the outside as well as the inside of your home. Don’t
leave ladders out in the yard or any tool that a thief can use to his
advantage to get into your home. Having good outside lighting on a
motion detector is recommended as well as a whole-house security
system, and make sure to actually set the security system even if you
are only leaving the house for a short period of time.
But most importantly, DO NOT leave keys under doormats, in
mailboxes or other “secret” hiding places, as a professional thief
always knows exactly where to look.
So when on vacation, be sure to minimize your risk of being
targeted by thieves by being careful what you share online. Make
your home undesirable to would-be thieves by making it look
occupied. Install security features that discourage them from
attempting to break in.
We at the Bill Flinn Agency wish you a safe and relaxing summer
and encourage you to take caution in protecting your home when
away. If you would like a free report on how to keep your home safe
from thieves, feel free to contact us at 412.833.5351 or by using the
form at www.billflinnagency.com.
Most homes are
underinsure
by an average of 1
Do you have enough
Most homes are
coverage to rebuild?
underinsured
by an average of
Erie Insurance
100%
Guaranteed
Company A
$47,000
Underinsured
Do you have enough
coverage to rebuild?
Company A
$47,000
Underinsured
Erie Insurance
100%
Guaranteed
Company B
$51,000
Underinsured
19%
*
Company B
$51,000
Underinsured
Company C
$38,000
Underinsured
Bill Flinn Agency Inc
Bill Flinn Agency Inc
This Industry Insight was provided by the Bill Flinn Agency.
For the last 40 years the Bill Flinn Agency has been serving
the Bethel Park and South Hills communities. Since
opening our doors in 1972, our mission has been to treat
our customers by the golden rule. Learn more about us at
www.billflinnagency.com, or stop by our office on South
Park Road in the heart of Bethel.
36
724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE
❘
icmags.com
2754
S Park
Rd
2754
S Park
Rd
Bethel Park, PA 15102-3858
Bethel Park, PA 15102-3858
www.billflinnagency.com
www.billflinnagency.com
412-833-5351
412-833-5351
*64% of homes are undervalued—and potentially underinsured—by 19%, according to Marshall & Swift/Boeckh, a
leading provider of building cost data to real estate professionals. **ErieSecure Home SM with Guaranteed Replacement
Cost requires home improvements over $5,000 to be reported within 90 days. Coverage of costs to comply
with laws or ordinances is subject to limits. Depreciation may be deducted until repair or replacement is made.
Visit www.eriesecurehome.com/details or talk to your ERIE Agent for more information. Not all companies are licensed to
operate in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for company licensure and territory information. Equal opportunity insurer.
*64%
of homes are undervalued—and potentially underinsured—by 19%, according
S1420b 5/12
to Ma
leading provider of building cost data to real estate professionals. **ErieSecure Home SM with
Cost requires home improvements over $5,000 to be reported within 90 days. Coverage o
with laws or ordinances is subject to limits. Depreciation may be deducted until repair or re
Visit www.eriesecurehome.com/details or talk to your ERIE Agent for more information. No
operate in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for company licensure and territory informati