Home invasions spike on Fridays, says insurance company
There are several ways to protect your home, including not putting your vacation plans on social media
Employees aren't the only people who love Fridays — it's also your local thief's favourite day of the week to break into your home, according to national insurer Aviva Canada.
Aviva analyzed their data and found the number of home burglaries goes up dramatically in the summer months, with August being the worst.
Wayne Ross, the vice president of claims, says a lot of Canadians travel in the summer and thieves are convicts of opportunity.
"Typically they will scope out your home, they follow your patterns, and when you leave, away they go," he said.
Regionally Quebec has the most amount of break-ins and Ross is at a loss to explain why — or why it takes top spot year after year.
So is there anything you can do?
Ross says there's a number of tips.
Tips to stay safe
A 24-hour guarded alarm system is best, if you can afford it, or consider upgrading your locking mechanisms on doors and windows – deadbolts being the most preferable.
When you're away on vacation, consider the following:
- Put your inside lights on timers, so it seems like there is a presence.
- Have someone pick up your newspaper and flyers, and park a car in the driveway.
- Stay away from social media.
- Do not put your vacation plans on the internet.
Ross says you never know who is going to see that information and then put two and two together.
"You tell a friend who tells a friend who tells a friend that you're going away to the Bahamas for the next two weeks, it's a perfect invitation for somebody to break into your home."
Another good tip, they recommend taking a home inventory — take a video of all the contents in your home, and save it someplace other than your house so in the event that you do get broken into you have a list of all you own.