'I'm a former burglar here's six main mistakes you make when securing your home'
A former thief has provided the six key security risks that leave homeowners vulnerable to burglary.
Jenny Radcliffe began breaking and entering after being shown the tricks of the trade by her parents as a teenager while growing up in Liverpool.
Her trespassing began by going into empty homes as she told inews: "There was a big old empty house on the corner, a beautiful old house. We’d test ourselves to see if we could get in, not to steal anything. Just to have a look around because we were bored."
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But, despite looking like she was going to embark on a career filled with criminality, she met a footballer in a bar 20 years ago, changing everything.
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Jenny said: “He asked us to test out the new security system on his house. I got in just by talking to his cleaner.
"People don’t suspect me, because I don’t appear threatening. But you never know if someone is who they say they are."
In her new career, she finds herself on the other side of the law, helping people to secure their homes instead of stealing from them.
And she has provided some top tips on how to keep your house safe from those who used to think the same way as her.
Her first tip is not to share too much on social media, saying that it helps criminals keep track of your every move.
Since the dawn of the internet, she said that burglars don't have to listen in on people's conversations anymore and can instead just trawl their social media.
Jenny said: "People don’t realise that your online life is connected to your physical property.
"Every time we go on holiday, we post about it on social media. You wouldn’t have a sign on your front door saying ‘this house is unoccupied’ but we do in the digital realm."
Next up she says is protecting your CCTV system, adding: "Information is tracked and shared by providers, and any connected device can be hacked and this is a concern. Provided you take care of your own security and privacy around the actual device.
'They are a good tool overall in home security, provided people don’t see them as a substitute for alarms, other cautions and general common sense. Remember, burglars hate being slowed down, being noisy and being seen so anything that does one or all of these is very welcome."
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Jenny also warned against leaving tools where criminals can easily access them as they can make it a whole lot easier to break into properties.
She said: "I’ve seen houses where they have left ladders outside or unlocked garages full of equipment that could be used to break in."
Her house security mishaps also included; being too trusting of neighbours with a spare key, forgetting to do simple things such as making it look like someone is home and having plants and trees that could be used as good hiding places for burglars.
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