How to Outsmart Burglars

No one likes to lose their valuables, and especially not by way of a burglar raiding their home. Even though property crimes have drastically dropped since 1991, there are still more than 2 million burglaries per annum in the United States.

So how can you outsmart a savvy property thief?

We have all heard by now that hiding money under the mattress is not a good idea, since that is one of the first spots where a burglar would look.

Then again, says a blog called Personal Finance Advice, you might want to do just that: leaving small amounts of money in obvious places--under the mattress, in a cookie jar, in a drawer--to prevent your real stash of cash from being found.

In a February 2007 entry, one pfadvice.com blogger describes a conversation with a former burglar, including interesting tips that might trick an intruder and make him leave (almost) empty-handed.

What you have to know, explains the anonymous ex-felon, is that 99% of burglars are not of the "this is my chosen profession and I take pride in it" kind. "They are part of organized crime, they are part of a gang or [...] they are drug addicts."

Keep in mind, he says, a burglar wants to steal as much as possible in the shortest time possible. On the other hand, finding nothing at all could frustrate the thief so much that he starts turning your house upside down in search of money... hence the tip to leave small amounts in easy-to-find places.

"If I can't find money and valuables in the normal places I usually find them, I would continue to tear the house apart until I found something. Remember, the first rule is to steal money and valuables. We'll keep looking until we find something."

But don't leave too little, he recommends. In a modest home, $100 will suffice. If you live in a wealthy neighborhood, however, and the crook finds only $100 lying around, he will assume that there must be more.

Here's some more good advice from the retired burglar:

Write "Bank Safe Deposit Box" on an envelope and fill it with a list of items. Put the envelope in an easily accessible drawer so it can be found by the burglar. This will tell him that most of your assets are stored at the bank.

Safes are generally not a good idea. If it's a portable one, the burglar will just carry it with him. If it's non-portable and looks impressive enough, he might be tempted to wait for you to come home and force you to open it at gunpoint.

When you choose a hiding place, think like a burglar. The box stashed way back in your closet might be inconvenient for you to get to, but it's one of the places where a thief would look first. In case of an intruder who's also a drug addict, he would likely search your toilet tank, cereal boxes, the refrigerator and freezer, and the medicine cabinet.

If you have children, consider hiding some cash away in their room (here, messiness actually works in your favor), maybe even inside a toy. Burglars usually won't look for valuables there. Other good hiding places are the underside of trash cans, laundry detergent boxes or bottles, empty soup cans, etc. Just make sure, warns the conman, that those "false packages" are in the appropriate spot, that is, in the laundry room or pantry.

If you can get past the "yuk factor," you can purchase a so-called "Brief Safe" that looks like badly stained underwear and can be kept at the bottom of a bedroom closet or in the laundry basket. The skid mark safe contains a small pocket to insert money, and--Mr. Z agrees--it is unlikely that any burglar will touch it.