California is the number 1 state in home thefts in all of the United States, and the month of August the absolute high season for this type of crime. That’s according to recently released claims statistics from State Farm reflecting what happened, actually, last summer.
Will history repeat itself in 2017? It may, unless safety precautions are implemented, on and offline.
California saw a total of 12,412 claims being filed with State Farm in 2016, followed by Texas and Illinois. And the month of August of 2016 alone saw a total of 7,880 claims being filed in California. The stat reflects building and
personal property, and not identity theft.
So why did this happen? August is the top month for home theft because so many people are away from their home on vacation, leaving their home unmonitored. December and January are also critical months for home theft due to the delivery of Christmas and holiday packages.
How can this be prevented? There are multiple ways, such as:
Installing a security system. Many new security systems offer self-monitoring options. These systems include a local alarm, but also send alerts directly to the customer’s phone, smart device, or computer. Although the
system is not professionally monitored, they still may qualify for a reduced Home Alert discount without having to provide a certificate of monitoring or other means of verification.
Don’t post vacation info on social media while you are gone.
Put on hold your mail delivery or ask a neighbor to collect the mail for you.
Leave some lights on.
Make it look like you never left home.
Also, create a home inventory before you leave in case they do break in and you need to file a claim.
