Going on Vacation? Here’s 5 Tips to Keep Burglars Out of Your Empty Home

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Vacation coming? Protect your home while you’re away so you can really relax and enjoy yourself. This requires addressing both physical and cyber protection challenges. Naturally, burglars in New England want to get the easiest targets possible, as the Ashland, Massachusetts, police point out. They know where to go to find them: social media.

Once, crooks would look for obituaries to target houses, knowing when the residents would be out at a funeral. Now, convicted burglars themselves believe that 75 percent of their thieving colleagues are leveraging social media to locate marks, according to a Virginia-based law enforcement website. Read more →

The Biggest Threats to Your Home: By the Numbers 

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Knowledge is power when it comes to home and property safety here in New England. We recently published a report based on a five-year study of our archived verified-alarm data, and some interesting patterns emerged. Read more →

Burglar’s Best Friend and Other Silly Security Stories

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Security is a serious matter. That doesn’t mean we can’t relax a bit in the summer heat and recollect some of the oddest New England home and business intrusion stories.

Here is a brief list of some of the most interesting encounters we’ve found between local felons, furry friends and property. Some were caught on camera, while one incident was apparent only by the evidence left behind. Read more →

Four Tips for Spring Security

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Days are getting longer, temperatures are rising, and the ice and snow are melting. Spring has arrived here in New England, and with it, an opportunity to reevaluate your home security.

After huddling indoors for the past three months, spring offers the chance to finally go outside and enjoy the mild weather, but it also provides an opportunity for thieves. Read more →

10 Security Lessons from “Home Alone”

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

“Home Alone” is an all-time classic holiday movie. Young Kevin McCallister cleverly outsmarts two house burglars in a hilarious Christmas comedy. In addition to the slapstick laughs, Kevin employs non-traditional security measures to protect his house against the would-be burglars. While we don’t recommend icing your doorsteps and swinging paint cans from the top of your stairs, there are some lessons to be learned about proper home security.

Read more →

Don’t Let Package Thieves Steal Your Holiday Cheer

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Christmas time is not only the season for giving — for package thieves, it’s the time for taking. That risk increases each day leading up to Christmas.  

 

Roughly 30 percent of Americans are victims of package theft according to ABC. With Cyber Monday sales estimated to have hit a whopping $8 billion, the opportunities for grab-and-go package thefts are just going to get worse. Ultimately, the threat of such thieves could put a dent into e-commerce itself, says an Inc. article. Read more →

How to Protect Your Home Security System from Door Knockers

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

beware of home security system scam artistsThis past winter we warned you about holiday packages stolen from doorsteps. Today we’re posting another doorstep crime that happens when those cold temperatures begin to rise. During the spring and summer months, dishonest scam artists, known as “Door Knockers”, go door-to-door selling fake home security systems. How do they do it? They’ll sound credible, mislead you and then pressure you into signing their binding contract. The pitch sounds something like this: 

“Hello, I’m from Acme Alarm Systems. Did you know American Alarm is bankrupt? As a courtesy to you, they asked me to void your old contract and present a new one. But you must sign now to maintain your services.” Read more →

How to Setup Your Security System in Your New Home

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Earlier this month we shared three reasons to update your home’s security system prior to selling. Now we’ll discuss moving into the home of your dreams. You’ve got the white picket fence, beautifully landscaped flower beds, and the big grassy backyard perfect for kids and a dog. Everything is in place for you to begin the rest of your life. Or is it?  Read more →

Top 3 Reasons to Update Your Home Security System Prior to Selling

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

Update Home Security System Before SellingIf your home’s on the market, you’re likely exhausted from rushing around re-painting the spare bedroom, upgrading the kitchen counter or retiling the bathroom shower. The good news is, there’s no better time than Spring to sell your home and the best two-week window is the first half of May. In fact, U.S. homes listed in the May 1-15 period generally sell almost two weeks faster than the average listing in the year. If that’s not incentive enough, the negotiated price is $2,400 more, on average.  Read more →

New Video: Code Your Home Security System Tonight for the Easter Bunny

/by American Alarm Blogging Team

While your family sleeps, he slinks about, leaving candy and toys in pastel colors beneath cellophane wrapping. Then his furry feet pad out of your door again, with no trace of his being there. But with more families concerned about protecting themselves from home invaders, is it a matter of time before our beloved Easter Bunny finds himself captured under the bright lights and blaring sound of your home security system? Read more →