Got burgled today.
Discussion
JQ said:
after 45 years in the same house without incident he was burgled a week after my mum passed away.
I'd particularly warn against putting death/funeral notices in the paper. There has been a bunch of robberies around here (SW Germany) by eastern europeans who come over the border from France just to rob, and they rely on people putting the notice in the paper that "the funeral will take place at.... at x o'clock". They raid the house at exactly this time.... Absolutely devastating for the grieving persons......
Announcing when you're going to be away is often rather risky.
Although I recall a BBC 'Play for Today' which featured a chap who'd had a burglary. So he decided to take a 2 week holiday in Spain and went to a rather seedy pub to have a few beers before he left.... A villain broke into his house the day after he departed for Spain.
Except that he hadn't. He'd installed a security cage inside the house and had been waiting quietly for the bait to be taken. When the trap was sprung, the burglar pleaded to be released. "Yes, I'll let you out - when I get back from Spain in a fortnight's time", he said - and walked off.
Back in the 1970s, I was told of another scam on an unwitting member of the public happened at (allegedly) Harrods. A woman had had her handbag taken in the ladies' and complained to the shop manager. So a few days later she was very happy when she received a call from the store manager telling her that her handbag had been recovered and as compensation, the store would give her a VIP day on a date of her choosing if she cared to meet him at a reception desk. She agreed to a date, went up to London and off to Knightsbridge, into the store and her appointment with the manager.....
"We don't have anyone with that name working here", she was told.
"Well, could I have my handbag back then, please?", she asked.
"We don't have you handbag, sorry madam".....
Of course as soon as she'd left home for London, burglars had been to her house and stolen everything they could get their thieving hands on.
Never announce when you're going to be away - and never have a label on your airport luggage with your address visible.
Although I recall a BBC 'Play for Today' which featured a chap who'd had a burglary. So he decided to take a 2 week holiday in Spain and went to a rather seedy pub to have a few beers before he left.... A villain broke into his house the day after he departed for Spain.
Except that he hadn't. He'd installed a security cage inside the house and had been waiting quietly for the bait to be taken. When the trap was sprung, the burglar pleaded to be released. "Yes, I'll let you out - when I get back from Spain in a fortnight's time", he said - and walked off.
Back in the 1970s, I was told of another scam on an unwitting member of the public happened at (allegedly) Harrods. A woman had had her handbag taken in the ladies' and complained to the shop manager. So a few days later she was very happy when she received a call from the store manager telling her that her handbag had been recovered and as compensation, the store would give her a VIP day on a date of her choosing if she cared to meet him at a reception desk. She agreed to a date, went up to London and off to Knightsbridge, into the store and her appointment with the manager.....
"We don't have anyone with that name working here", she was told.
"Well, could I have my handbag back then, please?", she asked.
"We don't have you handbag, sorry madam".....
Of course as soon as she'd left home for London, burglars had been to her house and stolen everything they could get their thieving hands on.
Never announce when you're going to be away - and never have a label on your airport luggage with your address visible.
JMGS4 said:
I'd particularly warn against putting death/funeral notices in the paper. There has been a bunch of robberies around here (SW Germany) by eastern europeans who come over the border from France just to rob, and they rely on people putting the notice in the paper that "the funeral will take place at.... at x o'clock". They raid the house at exactly this time....
Absolutely devastating for the grieving persons......
Police warning about this in my area (SW Scotland) just now.Absolutely devastating for the grieving persons......
Parents were at their neighbour's funeral-returned home to find police at deceased guys door. Broken into during funeral. Utter scum imho.
Jasandjules said:
Well, a dog can make you feel better and bark to at least alert you to any problems.
I was thinking more Rottie than staffie though....
I can highly recommend Japanese Akita's, mine only barked when there was something worth barking for and did a cracking job of catching a smackhead burgler in my kitchen by the throat. (He didn't munch him, just held him whilst growling, and was reassuring when I had to work away, knowing the dog was there for my Mrs.I was thinking more Rottie than staffie though....
BobSaunders said:
Car got done over again last night - left it unlocked by accident. Luckily it was just a bunch of parking change.
This time i'll be installing CCTV and a new security light out the front.
House alarm gets set every night for us.
I left my car unlocked by accident one night and it also got done over. Luckily it was the same as you, not much taken, but it did make me ask myself...how often are dodgy sorts creeping about my property trying the doors, etc? Did they just happen to get lucky on that one night or is it a regular occurrence?This time i'll be installing CCTV and a new security light out the front.
House alarm gets set every night for us.
Been burgled twice both before we had a chance to get an alarm in. The one that is in now seems to be effective. Somebody did try and get into the garage but a combination of extra locks and the alarm scared them off. As regards people "creeping" around the neighbourhood. I did have an incident last week where I was staying up late to catch up with a box set of "Castle". Having two Silhouettes of two guys go past my Windows at 1.45am was not reassuring...
k.???????????????I've never been burgled and I hope I never have to be in the unfortunate position that some of you have been, and I genuinely feel for the OP.
As someone who lives in a house (regular detached) with fairly hefty UPVC double-glazing and front and back doors who never leaves the windows open at night / when out (except for the tiny little fan light windows in bedrooms) and always tends to keep the back door locked during the day even when someone's at home, what are the chances that a burglar will be able to actually get in? How do they normally get in, in this scenario? Aside from seeing the keys through the letter box or window? Are these sort of 'safeguards' pretty likely to keep someone out? Is there anything else that can be done?
We have CCTV covering all the entry points too, but no alarm or security lights.
As someone who lives in a house (regular detached) with fairly hefty UPVC double-glazing and front and back doors who never leaves the windows open at night / when out (except for the tiny little fan light windows in bedrooms) and always tends to keep the back door locked during the day even when someone's at home, what are the chances that a burglar will be able to actually get in? How do they normally get in, in this scenario? Aside from seeing the keys through the letter box or window? Are these sort of 'safeguards' pretty likely to keep someone out? Is there anything else that can be done?
We have CCTV covering all the entry points too, but no alarm or security lights.
I was in bed at half 4 this morning when I heard a bang down stairs. I fired up the CCTV on my mobile and thought I saw someone in the back garden. Jumped out of bed flung the window open and bellowed something un-repeatable. Grabbed my Mag light to go after them. The MRS then calls me back up-stairs to show me the person in the Garden was a spider on the camera 
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Flanders. said:
I was in bed at half 4 this morning when I heard a bang down stairs. I fired up the CCTV on my mobile and thought I saw someone in the back garden. Jumped out of bed flung the window open and bellowed something un-repeatable. Grabbed my Mag light to go after them. The MRS then calls me back up-stairs to show me the person in the Garden was a spider on the camera .
Hahaha this was a very funny story that the indruder was a spider , good one!. 
Howard- said:
I've never been burgled and I hope I never have to be in the unfortunate position that some of you have been, and I genuinely feel for the OP.
As someone who lives in a house (regular detached) with fairly hefty UPVC double-glazing and front and back doors who never leaves the windows open at night / when out (except for the tiny little fan light windows in bedrooms) and always tends to keep the back door locked during the day even when someone's at home, what are the chances that a burglar will be able to actually get in? How do they normally get in, in this scenario? Aside from seeing the keys through the letter box or window? Are these sort of 'safeguards' pretty likely to keep someone out? Is there anything else that can be done?
We have CCTV covering all the entry points too, but no alarm or security lights.
Jemmied open the conservatory window then just smashed through the double glazed panel in the lounge window. As someone who lives in a house (regular detached) with fairly hefty UPVC double-glazing and front and back doors who never leaves the windows open at night / when out (except for the tiny little fan light windows in bedrooms) and always tends to keep the back door locked during the day even when someone's at home, what are the chances that a burglar will be able to actually get in? How do they normally get in, in this scenario? Aside from seeing the keys through the letter box or window? Are these sort of 'safeguards' pretty likely to keep someone out? Is there anything else that can be done?
We have CCTV covering all the entry points too, but no alarm or security lights.
They don't give a monkies.
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