Thieves Are Getting Smarter

Not all thieves are stupid, like the ones you see on TV. Here are some real life claims that were recently reported to The Travelers Insurance Company.

1. Long Term Parking: Long Term Parking Some people left their car in the long-term parking lot at the airport. While they were away, someone broke into the car. Using the information on the car’s registration in the glove compartment, they drove to the people’s home and robbed them.

2.) GPS: Some people had their car broken into while they were at a Football game. Things stolen from the car included a garage door opener, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard. When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything of any value had been stolen. The thieves used the GPS to guide them to the house, used the garage door opener to open the garage door and gain entry to the home. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game so they knew what time the game would be over and how much time they had to clean out the house.

3.) Cell Phones: A woman’s pocketbook, which contained her cell phone, credit card and wallet, was stolen. 20 minutes later when she got a hold of her husband to tell him, he told her he received her text asking about the PIN # and that he had replied a little while ago. By the time they got to their bank, all the money had already been withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text the“hubby” in the contact list and got the pin#.

4.) Purse In The Grocery Cart: A woman was grocery shopping and left her purse sitting in the children’s seat while she reached for something off a shelf. Her wallet was stolen and she reported the incident to the store personnel. After returning home, she received a phone call from store security to say that they had her wallet and that although there was no money in it, it did still hold all her personal papers. She immediately rushed back to the store, only to be told by store security that they had not called her. By the time she returned home, her house had been broken into and burglarized. The thieves knew that by calling and saying they were store security, they could get her out of the house long enough to burglarize it.

Moral Of The Story: Some things to consider. If you have a GPS, don’t put your home address in it. Put a nearby address in, like a gas station or store, so you can still find your way home, but no one will know where you live if your GPS is stolen. Do not disclose the relationship between you and people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Hubby, Honey, Dad, Mom and Trendy, etc. If sensitive info is being asked through text, confirm by calling back.