Understanding the theft motive of thieves is essential to better protect your home. Many people believe that thieves only focus on electronic products or high-end goods. But the fact is often not so. Thieves will search for various things, some of which may surprise you.
To protect your house and property, you should understand what the main targets of thieves are. Understanding their goals helps homeowners better protect their belongings. Renters can also easily protect their valuable belongings. Let’s take a look at some of the items that thieves most commonly steal from houses.
1. **Wallets and cash**: The cash stolen in a burglary is usually of higher value than other items. This simple target is very attractive to thieves. Cash cannot be traced and can be consumed quickly. It is precisely because of its simple and quick use that it is so attractive. Most other stolen items must be resold in some way. Cash can provide immediate funding without the need for anyone to intervene.
Home insurance does provide some protection against cash theft. But these protections are usually limited in amount. The cash coverage of most insurances is only around $200. This is much lower than the deductible of most home insurance policies. Claims for cash theft exceeding the deductible amount will not be eligible for compensation. The ultimate loss for the victim is only their entire property.
The most effective way to prevent cash theft is to avoid storing large amounts of cash at home. If you need to store a large amount of cash, please use a safe or concealed place. Choose a place that is not easily discovered by thieves. If using a safe, please ensure that its weight is sufficient or secure it with bolts to prevent it from being easily carried.
2. **Clothing and furs**: Strange looking clothing is the main target of theft. But if you have expensive designer clothes in your wardrobe, they can make a lot of money. Thieves will carefully search for high-end branded clothing and shoes. They also want to quickly sell designer bags and accessories. Leather jackets and fur were also valuable items they stole.
In addition to installing home security systems to ensure overall safety, it is also necessary to consider providing more security for valuable bags or clothing. Installing a dedicated lock on the wardrobe door can be helpful. Using a safe can provide additional security protection. In addition, check if your family insurance covers personal belongings. The policy may have sub limits for fur and expensive clothing. You may need to purchase additional insurance to obtain full coverage.
3. **Prescription drugs**: Nowadays, stealing prescription drugs is highly profitable. These pills sell easily and quickly on the black market. This makes them the primary target of many burglary cases. Thieves usually target the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. But they may not keep searching there. Some over-the-counter drugs may also be stolen here.
Thieves usually don’t spend time reading medication bottle labels. Medications such as painkillers or allergens may also be stolen. Even vitamins can be stored in easily accessible places. Drugs have high street value and are easy targets. They are easily discarded, which means thieves often steal them.
To prevent such theft, please store the prescription in a less conspicuous place. For example, placing them on high shelves deep in the food storage room can effectively conceal them. Hide them, but always keep them away from children and pets. If you are going out for a period of time, such as vacation, please lock your prescription. This is a wise move to protect drug safety.
4. **Cars and parts**: Thieves are sometimes more likely to target your car than your home. They may also aim at items or parts inside the car. This situation usually occurs when the car is parked at your home. Stealing the entire car may not be their main goal. Some thieves may target valuable parts like catalytic converters. The dismantling speed of catalytic converters is very fast and it is easy to sell at a good price. As of early 2023, nearly 27000 incidents of catalytic converter theft have been reported across the United States.
Thieves may also smash the windshield to retrieve items left inside the car. If the item is placed in a prominent place or in a glove box, they will do so. Other vehicle parts may include wheel hub covers. Gearboxes and GPS devices can sometimes be their targets. These valuable parts can be used to sell or repair other stolen vehicles.
If your car is stolen or damaged and needs repairs, such as a broken window or a fuel tank that needs to be repaired. Normally, you can use car insurance to cover losses. Vehicle theft or damage can only be compensated if comprehensive insurance is purchased. If you do not have this insurance, you will need to bear all the repair costs on your own. Locking the car in the garage helps prevent thieves.
5. **Electronics**: Electronic devices have always been a common target of theft in homes. They have high value and are also easy to move. This type of item includes televisions, computers, game consoles, etc. These items are easily stolen and will soon be sold. Small devices like mobile phones are also frequently stolen.
A study shows that mobile devices have the highest theft rate, at around 73%, while laptops have a theft rate of only 20%. The theft rate of desktop computers is only about 6%. Smartphones with small size and high value are the most susceptible to theft. When burglars break in and steal, they often quickly take away these items.
To protect your valuable electronic products, please use a securely locked cabinet. Please lock it when not in use. If not used every day, please lock it when going out. This can reduce the risk of theft during travel. In addition, it is necessary to check the personal property protection in the housing insurance. Expensive electronic products may require additional purchase of full price insurance.
6. **Jewelry and precious metals**: Thieves often search for expensive high-end jewelry and watches. They are compact in size, easy to carry, and expensive. Not only high-end products, but also pure silver and gold are also popular. Even artificial jewelry can sometimes sell at a good price. Jewelry placed on the dressing table can easily become their target.
Valuable items that you do not frequently wear should be stored in a bank safe or other secure location away from your residence. Store jewelry in a secure and locked place at home, such as a safe that can be quickly locked with a lock. A standard home insurance policy may not be able to cover all of your jewelry expenses. Most policies only set a limit of $1500 for jewelry theft. A necklace worth $10000 is usually insured up to $1500. Additional insurance is required to cover the full value of expensive jewelry.
7. **Personal documents**: Some thieves not only covet valuable items, they will definitely target your personal and important documents. Social security cards, passports, and password books are all what they most want to get. These files can be used to steal your identity or access your financial account. Identity theft is currently a highly serious criminal act. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 1.4 million reports in 2024 indicating a high risk of identity theft.
To protect yourself from such criminal theft, please avoid placing important documents containing sensitive information at will. The best practice is to store files in a locked filing cabinet and keep them properly. Store these files in a location that is not easily noticeable to thieves, away from common target areas such as bedrooms or offices. Please create a digital copy and securely store it in a remote location or cloud. If the paper copy is stolen, this can provide a backup.
Once sensitive files are no longer needed, thoroughly shred them. Old bills or reports usually need to be shredded. Any document containing personal identification information should be crushed by a dedicated person. This step is important because thieves may search for garbage. They will search for information by searching for recycling bins outside their homes. Crushing is an important guarantee for preventing identity theft crimes.
