Summer’s coming, with its corresponding rise in burglaries as people leave more windows open and get out of the house. For some neighborhoods, the warmer months also mean “summer slamming,” which refers to alarm companies that hit the streets to target homeowners with alarms.
Often college students in summer jobs, they travel in teams and go door-to-door to woo alarm users away from their existing alarm companies—and to new systems with extremely low monthly monitoring fees. At first blush, this might seem like a win-win for the homeowner who’d like to pay less for the same protection. But what often results is faulty or poorly installed replacement equipment, along with monitoring fees that don’t stay low for long.
Some in the industry frown upon the practice. “This stuff drives us crazy, because it creates a bad image for legitimate door-to-door sales people in the alarm industry,” said Jamie Haenggi, chief marketing officer for Protection 1. “Homeowners should be wary of inviting people into their homes, showing their vulnerable security points. Ensuring that proper background checks are conducted and reps are trained properly is something that people should look into when choosing a company.”
Here are some pointers for anyone considering a new or replacement alarm system:
Consider the long term. In every step, from initial sale to long-term monitoring, you have the right to know up front whether subcontractors will be involved—and whether your contract, after you sign it, might be sold to a company you didn’t get to research.
Learn your options. Whichever company you’re looking into, be sure it offers all the extras you might want. Major alarm companies such as ADT, Monitronics, and Protection 1 have add-ins to the contract that allow remote monitoring of your home using cameras, computers and, more recently, smartphone apps. Other options include a panic-button device you can use to summon help during, say, a home invasion even if the homeowner, under gunpoint, is forced to disarm the alarm.
Keep up with alarm training. Dissatisfaction with your existing alarm company might stem from false alarms, most often attributable to user error. Any competent installer should train family members in how to use the system, including how to stop an alarm signal should you accidentally trip it. But contact your company if you still need this training or have added adults to your household.
Know an alarm’s limitations. Alarm-service contracts often require you to run a test monthly. Even if everything is working, however, smart burglars know how long they likely have till responders show up. “There can be 10 to 20 minutes between the time of the actual activation and when we’re notified,” says Major Kurt Philipps, supervisor of the Memphis Police Department’s burglary bureau, “but if someone’s being shot or robbed, you’re going to have to take a back seat.” That’s why noisy as well as silent alarms provide additional protection.
Other ways to stay safe. For more on home security read our special report
Your Security, which includes new
Ratings of door locks.
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These articles appeared in the June 2011 Issue of Consumer Reports Magazine:
Your securityCops and crooks provide a cheat sheet on 25 things you're doing wrong.
Making a break-in too easy
"About half of all break-ins aren't break-ins but walk-ins," says Bob Portenier, consultant, lecturer, and former burglar. "Families get in a hurry in the morning—kids going to school, running late for work, doctors' appointments, what have you—and forget to take that one or two minutes to check the doors and locks, usually on the back side. You have a pet, you let it out to do its business—and then forget the security French door or sliding glass door."
Remember, don't forget to turn on your home alarm. In a security survey of 1,038 U.S. homeowners we conducted in February, 43 percent of people in our survey who had an alarm said they at least occasionally don't turn it on when they're not at home. Some other troubling numbers. Nineteen percent of people in our survey said they at least occasionally leave doors at home unlocked when they're out, and 26 percent of survey respondents said they at least occasionally leave windows unlocked when they're not at home.
Leaving your garage door open
In addition to providing access to everything in the garage, the door most likely leads to an interior door and access to your house. That interior door probably isn't as strong as an exterior door. And once a burglar's in your garage, the neighbors can't see him.
Obscuring your house
Tall hedges and fences hide windows and doors, giving thieves cover to work, says Walter T. Shaw, former burglar and co-author of "A License to Steal."
Leaving valuables in sight
"When we targeted a house, we would approach the door and look in—the quality of furniture, whatever there was—to give us an idea of how these people spend their money," says Portenier. "So with mirror-tinted windows, it eliminates that."
Advertising a vacation
People often don't do anything to make the house look occupied, says Maj. Kurt Philipps of the Memphis police department. Lt. John Dzwlewicz of the New York City police department suggests this trick: Put some inexpensive kids' toys on the lawn. On Facebook, share news of your trip only after you return.
Being carefree with keys
Leaving keys under the doormat or elsewhere outside the home is a risk that 12 percent of people in our survey say they often take. Another 7 percent say they do it occasionally. And 66 percent say they have given a key to someone other than a resident of their home.
And avoid hiding your car keys inside or outside the car. That just makes it easier for thieves to engage in a spur-of-the-moment theft, authorities say. Many of today's cars make it difficult to lock your keys inside. If you're concerned about that anyway, keep a spare in your wallet or purse. Eleven percent of people in our survey said they at least occasionally leave car keys in the ignition when parked. And 52 percent of people from nonmetro areas in our survey said they at least occasionally leave their car unlocked outside.
Tossing prescription bottles
Prescription labels on pill bottles can contain important information such as phone numbers, doctors, and prescription numbers. Remove the labels and shred them. Also be careful with medical records. And also treat your benefit claims forms, insurance reimbursements, and even medical tests as confidential information and destroy them before discarding.
Thinking a gun is your best defense
Gun ownership is a controversial topic, but research has shown that homeowners with guns increase the risks in their home. Homeowners might make the mistake of not getting proper training and not securing their firearms. Thirty-two percent reported having a gun as a security measure. And 73 percent of gun owners thought it was very good or excellent for protection.
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Your security
Six Ways to Stay Safer
Watch out for imposters
The fastest-growing scam in the past year has been imposter fraud, according to the latest annual report on consumer complaints from the Federal Trade Commission. Thieves claiming to be someone they're not (such as a friend or relative stranded overseas in need of cash to get home, a bill collector, or an employee of a government agency) use Facebook messages, e-mail, phone calls, and text messages to persuade people to send money or divulge personal information such as Social Security or account numbers. Last year, 60,000 people reported that they were affected by this form of fraud, up from just five cases reported in 2008.
Learn to parallel park
Car thieves are becoming more professional. They're stealing new cars by putting them on a flatbed tow truck, our expert says. Parallel parking hinders access to the front and rear of your car, making it difficult to tow. Also, be careful about whom you bump into at the grocery store, especially if your car has keyless entry and a push-button ignition. A thief with an antenna and a small kit of electronics can transmit your key's code to another thief standing near your car, allowing him to open it, start it, and drive it away.
Hide the stuff in your car
Don't leave electronics and other valuables visible inside your car. GPS units are less of a magnet these days; cell phones and laptops more so. Holiday gifts are a big target, so don't stack them up in the backseat. Is there a worse move? Yes. Leaving your stuff in the back of a pickup truck.
Change your PIN
Make it a habit to routinely change the secret code for your debit card or ATM card. That gives you better protection against any thieves or skimming schemes.
Keep a financial inventory
Once a year take out all of the cards in your wallet, make a list of the account numbers and contact information you'll need to cancel cards if they become lost or stolen, and hide it in a safe place, says Mark Rasch, a former Department of Justice computer-crime prosecutor who is a director at CSC, a business technology firm based in Falls Church, Va.
Change your Wi-Fi password
If you have a home wireless network, choose the highest-security option. That way your Web-browsing and financial transactions will be more protected. Go a step further and create your own administrative password rather than rely on a default password supplied by the router.
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