In the UK, 498 homes are burgled every day.
While there isn’t much an individual can do to prevent bad things from happening, there is a lot to do to make sure your home isn’t an easy victim of burglary.
Starting with the basics, you should always lock all outside doors when you’re not home and at night. That of course includes backdoors and garage doors. It also means not leaving your keys in easily accessible spots like under the welcome rug or anywhere near the entrance. Experienced burglars know where to look for hidden keys. If you’re gone for the day, leave a couple of lights on.
You might also invest in a home camera security system. If you do, make it clearly visible, since you’ll want it to discourage burglaries from happening in the first place. A motion-sensitive light that lights up when someone approaches the front or back door is also good for prevention.
Finally, you need to take precautions when going on holiday. If you can control your lights remotely or through a set timer, have them turn on during the day. You also shouldn’t share your travel plans on social media, or post about where you are in real time. If you know someone who can house-sit while you’re gone, all the better. Once you get back home, you can share your pictures and experiences online, but it’s best not to while your house is still empty and vulnerable. If you’re away for a longer time, arrange for someone to mow your lawn and rake the leaves.
We’re in the digital age, and home burglaries are not the only threats.
There are simple things we can do to stay safe online. Using a VPN is the obvious step. There are a few free versions out there, and they may be good enough for some users – but if you really care about your safety, a paid VPN service may be of bigger benefit. When using a reputable, paid VPN, you can be sure your information isn’t collected and sold for profit.
When gaming and igaming, you should take extra steps to ensure the website is legit and reliable. You can use lists with expert-vetted casinos, like this list of slots sites not on Gamstop by Liliana Costache. And you’ll want to look for internationally recognized licences. “These jurisdictions have strict rules in place to ensure a fair and safe environment for players,” writes expert Liliana Costache from CardPlayer.com.
A recent study shows that 11% of UK adults have fallen for an internet scam and have lost money as a result. Always check the URL. In many cases, you can easily expose a phishing scam by simply checking the domain name.
If the domain name is not quite right – maybe there is a small typo, or added affixes or suffixes – you should stay away, as it’s probably a scam site impersonating a legitimate company. Anyone can steal a logo, so this isn’t in any way a sign of safety.
Use a separate card for online shopping and online payments – especially if you’re paying with a prepaid card, where you’ll have less protection in case of monetary losses than if you’re using a credit card. You can use a service like Wise, and keep a minimum amount of money only when you’re planning on using it.
