iRaleighRealEstate Blog

The City of Raleigh Police has send us an advisement on some things you may think about that burglar’s are looking at or thinking.  Check this out, read and heed!  It is stuff you may never think about before it is to late.

Things Your Burglar Won’t Tell You:
 
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste … And taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

5. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don’t take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.

12. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never ever look like a crook.

15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

16. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn’t hear it again, he’ll just go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.

17. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

18. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you’re home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I’d like. I’ll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets..

19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.

20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.

21. If you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina Oregon California and Kentucky, security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book “Burglars on the job”

For the last couple of years, I’ve been reconnecting with old friends and making new ones on both my personal Facebook page and the Fan Page for HomeSearchRALEIGH.com, my Raleigh real estate website.  Seeing what’s going on with my pals has pretty much replaced the morning paper, which used to accompany my first couple cups of coffee.  This morning as I was browsing the bountiful bits of idle chatter, I immediately noticed that another friend’s curiosity had lured them into one of the numerous viruses that spread via social networks.  

After notifying the unsuspecting friend, I attempted to foil future infections by letting the 100+ people listed in my buddy’s misguided message that a menacing mess was ahead if they followed the listed links.  After that, I figured it would be a good time to blog and remind everyone of the electronic evil that lurks within cyberspace.  

My first bit of advice is to never click on a link from someone that you don’t know.  This also includes adding unfamiliar faces as “friends.”  If you limit your Facebook family to people who are really “friends,” you’ll be more likely to notice messages that are “out of character” or simply not like something that a particular person may say.  For instance, the message I received this morning was from an old college buddy; the misspelled words and poor grammar was an immediate red flag and certainly not characteristic of the “scholarly” sender.  Another wise word is to think carefully before adding any of those “applications.”  Facebook allows anyone to write an app and most are not screened before they are made available to us.    

This week alone, two more viruses have hit the social networks and both are designed to access your personal information.  Both gain access by simply asking for it.  Because the user is unsuspecting, it’s no surprise when they answer “yes” to the question, “can we share this message or video with your friends?” When you say “yes,” it spreads to your friends, requesting that they too share with their friends; and that is how the virus spreads, my friend.  

The latest mischievous app says “I will NEVER text again” and offers a video claiming to show someone who died after sending a text message from their cell phone.  If you’ve received such a message, or something like it, and have curiously clicked the link, here are a few steps to disinfect.  First, visit your applications settings page and remove the app from your profile. Second, clean up your wall by hovering your mouse over any of the related posts on your wall and clicking the “remove” button.  Third, get smart and start to question the content of anything you receive online.  

A final note, if you’ve been virally victimized, don’t get sick over it; at last count, over 293,000 people have clicked the latest menacing link. Just take a dose of my advice and be careful who your friends are.