10 Items At-Risk of Theft in Your Home

2 min read

According to the FBI, one in six homes are burglarized each year. That’s 2.2 million home burglaries annually. And out of all those burglaries, only 13 percent are ever solved by the police. So, the recovery rate of any stolen items from most burglaries is extremely low. With the average value of items stolen during a burglary being about $2,500, if your home was robbed, it could be an unexpected financial burden.

Burglars are usually in a hurry; most crimes take about 10 minutes. They know they have very little time to get in and out of the home. Because of this, they tend to steal items that are easy to grab-and-go. Here are 10 items at risk of theft from your home:

#1. Firearms

Burglars know to look in dresser drawers, under mattresses and pillows, inside toolboxes or closets for guns. Firearms are a valued prize for these thieves. Those who have a criminal record cannot purchase them legally and they can make a lot of money selling them to other criminals.

#2. Cash

Thieves love cash because it cannot be traced, and they can easily shove it into a bag or pocket. They can immediately spend it because they don’t have to convert it to cash like other stolen items.

#3. Credit Cards

You might not always carry your credit cards with you wherever you go. If they are stolen from your home, you might not immediately realize they are gone until you need them or receive alerts they are being used.

#4. Personal Documents

Your personal information is very valuable to criminals. It can be used to fraudulently apply for credit cards and other things that can harm your credit.

#5. Medications

Prescription drugs, especially pain killers can be very profitable for burglars. If they do not keep them for themselves, they can be easily sold.

#6. Car Keys

You and your car may not be home during a burglary, but your spare car keys might be. If you do not realize they are missing right away, a thief could return and steal your car, too.

#7. Jewelry

One of the first things a burglar will look for is a jewelry box. It is small enough to be carried off or easy to smash open to grab jewelry, run, and sell for cash right away.

#8. Electronics

Larger electronics like gaming consoles and flat screen TVs are not so easy to hide. Burglars can still grab them and retreat.

#9. Laptops, Tablets and Smartphones

Smaller electronics, like laptops, tablets and smartphones are easy to grab and run with. Burglars can quickly convert these items to cash.

#10. Power Tools

Many power tools are easy to grab and go. They can be sold quickly for cash, so burglars like to steal them.

A home safe can protect many of the items that are most at-risk for theft in your home.