Keeping your home, possessions and identity safe has never been more difficult but there are some simple steps to take to protect them without resorting to locking yourself inside and never going out again.

Your Home

1. Never leave the house without locking your doors and windows.  Even if you are just going into the pool or down the garden.  Be aware of unexpected callers, while one person is keeping you chatting at the gate another can be in and out with your purse/wallet or jewelry before you have even noticed. 
2. Lock away ladders and garden tools.  These can be used to gain access to high windows or break locks.
3. Don't leave your house keys in your car when you go shopping. Your car documents contain your address and your keys will give a thief easy access.
4. Don't leave your keys near an open window or door. A thief can pick them up and use them later.
5. Put away empty suitcases.  If a burglar does gain access to your house he can carry away a lot more of your possessions if he has something to carry them in.
6. Leave a light and radio or TV on in another room while you are in the bathroom.  30 minutes while you are in the bath is just the right amount of time for someone to get in and take a few of your hard earned pennies.
7. Get some timer plugs, set them to turn on lamps and televisions at appropriate times while you are on holiday.  Try to give the impression that someone is at home. 
8. Just in case you are burgled, take photographs of all your valuables in the places you normally keep them.  If a burglar does get in he will no doubt make a mess and you need to be able to work out what has been taken for your insurance claim.

Your Car

1. Keep valuables out of sight
2. If you can, leave your glove box open so that everyone can see there is nothing to steal
3. Remove any traces of sat-navs or expensive music systems.  If there is an obvious suction print on your windscreen a thief would assume that you have a sat-nav hidden somewhere in your car
4. Park your car in well lit, public areas.  The more people that walk past the less likely it is that someone would be able to break in without being spotted.

Your Identity

1. Be careful on social networking sites.  Make sure you have checked the privacy settings.  It is all too easy to accidentally display your address, your current location, your telephone number, etc.
2. Don't just bin it.  Shred or burn all personal documents that you want to throw away.  Nowadays with paper recycle bins it is easier than ever to find personal information the thief doesn't even have to get dirty digging through rotting kitchen waste.
3. If you are using an internet cafe or wifi service make sure that you log out from your bank, Paypal, eBay, Amazon and never click the "automatically log me in" or "remember me on this computer" options.  The next person to use that computer may not be as honest as you are.  Even if it is your laptop, if you have selected these options and your laptop gets stolen the thief has access to your personal accounts.
4. Regularly check your bank statements and online activities.  If there is an unauthorised action on your account the sooner you spot it the sooner the bank can limit the damage.
5. Do not keep a document on your computer containing your passwords.  You would be surprised how many people keep a document like this on their desktop for easy access, it normally contains online banking passwords, cash machine pin numbers, etc.  This would be a great find for a thief who has your computer and wallet.
6. When shopping or banking online make sure that you only access websites by typing the web address (URL) directly into the browser not from a link in an email.  For more information please refer to the What is Phishing article by Alien Technologies
7. Never reply to unsolicited emails asking for personal information.  If you receive an email purporting to be from a friend stranded in Africa asking you to send £3000, do not send it without first checking that it is indeed from your friend.  Similarly if someone you don't know wants your bank details so they can transfer $1,000,000 into your account, don't fall for it.

Hopefully you will never be burgled or have your belongings stolen but just in case, check your insurance coverage and banking policies regarding identity theft. Make sure that you are complying with all the terms of the policy.  If you have already lost your valuables the last thing you need is to then discover that you aren't covered because of some oversight.

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