Sneaky Ways Home Invaders Get Into Your Home

In my highly regarded article ‘Why Home Invasions Are So Dangerous?’ we explain what home invasions are and offer some tips on how to avoid them. It is well worth taking a few minutes to read this informative article.

In my other home security article entitled ‘The Ultimate Home Security Guide’ we explain why home burglary is so popular with the bad guys. It is not only a lucrative crime to commit but relatively easy as well. As a bonus to the bad guys, the chances of getting caught are very slim with only very few burglary crimes ever solved.

In today’s article we take a look at some sneaky, devious methods that home invaders use to get into your house. It points out the importance of always being on your toes and being suspicious of unusual happenings.

The sad fact of the matter is that all home invasions start at the front door with homeowners literally letting the bad guys in.

As more and more people become aware of home invasion as a crime, criminals are forced to become very creative in ways to cheat hard-working citizens and get into their homes. If they can’t get in using subterfuge, they may end up using brute force. And we cannot emphasize this point enough. When somebody rings your doorbell or knocks on your door, look to see who is there before you let them in. Under no circumstances should you reflexively open the door because you may just be asking for trouble.

Home invaders are notorious for coming up with creative ways to get into your house. Here are some examples.

Several months ago there was a diversion burglary that got national attention, which involved two men wearing company logos, carrying a company toolbox who got into the target home. They were there, ostensibly to fix a gas leak. The homeowner got suspicious because he saw no truck from that particular company outside. That diversion or some variation of it works around the country for home invaders to get into the home of their choice-usually with seniors sad to say.

Home invaders are using new diversions to gain entry into their victims’ homes. They appear to be very effective. So we’re letting you know about them. The first involves turning on a water spigot on the front of your house in the middle of the night. When you finally hear it and look outside you see water running all over the place. Of course your first reaction is to open your front door and turn the water off. The minute you open your front door the bad guys gain entry.

Another way is very sneaky and involves a crying child or at least the sounds of one at your front door. Of course you are more than curious and open the door to see what’s going on. Once you open your front door the bad guys march in.

Recently we have been made aware of what police are calling “Distraction Burglaries” where the home invaders posing as utility workers or other service type employees gain entry into homes under false pretenses. In this particular example they ended up stealing $75,000 worth of jewelry and cash. They later sold the goods at a pawn shop where few if any questions are ever asked. As you may imagine, senior citizens-who are perceived to be much more naïve and gullible-are often the targets for these types of crooks.

In this particular case from the ABC affiliate in New York City of a distraction burglary, the home invaders used Fake Police Badges to gain entry into the homes of people they knew to have cash and valuables. They later showed their weapons and tied up the residents once they got inside. The group burglarized seven homes over the last year. They were all subsequently caught and have been arraigned on charges of robbery and impersonating police officers.

In Las Vegas recently an elderly person told police that a man describing himself as a tree trimmer had distracted him while two other men entered his home in what has become known as Distraction Burglaries. The burglars took multiple pieces of jewelry, police said in a release.

“A second elderly person told police a similar story. A man had told the elderly resident he needed to check the landscaping in the backyard, while at least one other person entered the home. Police believe the two burglaries, that happened less than two miles apart, are related.”
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In the Chicago suburb of Elgin an organization that works with seniors put on a Fashion Show to show what city uniforms look like. The goal of the fashion show was to make seniors aware that not everybody that comes to your front door has good intentions. Law enforcement officials that helped sponsor the show pointed out that these “ruse burglaries”, as they are calling them, has one person knocking on the front door to claim they are from a city utility, for example, distracting the homeowner while another person sneaks into the house. The feeling was that if citizens knew what city utility worker uniforms looked like, they would be less susceptible.

Seniors are frequent targets because they’re more likely to be home alone and are less likely to be skeptical because they are more naïve.

One great way that you can see and talk to whoever is at your front door is with our effective Night Vision Wireless System that has night vision capability up to 120 feet away. It uses a 2.4 GHz digital wireless recording system and has a 7 inch LCD monitor that you can place by your front door so you can see who is at your house. The built-in microphone records audio from up to 30 feet away.

Has your home ever been burglarized or have you been the victim of a home invasion? What precautions do you take to protect your home? Share!