It seemed like an ordinary Friday morning.
I woke up and wandered to my living room to turn on my laptop. It's funny, I thought where's my laptop? Then I turned around and found my plasma was missing. I looked at the kitchen table where I left my wallet and saw, too, was gone. I was robbed!
As I called 911, a flood of emotions washed over me. I was frightened and panicked, and the gravity of the situation hit me quickly. Someone cut window screen with a knife, removed from the window and went into my condo - and it all happened while I was sleeping
Facts
In. the FBI reports, about 30 percent of all burglaries are committed without force by doors or windows unlocked. In the latest data available from the FBI, a burglary with an average loss of $ 2,119 occurs every 14.6 seconds in the United States
The reading, I realized that I had becoming a statistic. As a writer and marketing for Erie Insurance, I wrote about security and insurance coverage many times. But it was different now; it was personal.
A burglary is not only a crime against property, but also a crime against a person. I had trouble sleeping and has become more sensitive to noise at night. If I hear anything, I would get up and look at the windows. Even if I was not doing anything wrong, I blamed myself for leaving windows open. Then I remembered, whatever the circumstances, no one has the right to commit a crime like that.
In those first hours and days after the robbery, there were many details to resolve. Concerned about identity theft, I reported my missing wallet in my bank account number requested changes to credit cards, passwords updated and a 0-day fraud alert on my credit.
I also immediately called Historic Square Agency Erie, Pa., And spoke to the customer service representative Connie Palmer about my insurance coverage. I told him what happened and, within hours, Erie Insurance Claims Adjuster Greg Emke called to make an appointment with me this afternoon. Greg did not realize that I was working for REA until we sat down to discuss what happened. With respect, I am one of many clients who needed his help that day. A week after the break, I had the settlement of claims and control.
What is covered
The theft is covered by most standard home, condo, manufactured home and the tenant of the insurance policies, but there limits on expensive items like jewelry, weapons, silverware and furs. So if your valuables exceed a limit of $ 2,500 standard policy, for example, you may be underinsured. It is important to know the value of your property and talk to your agent about coverage. To make jewelry and other expensive items properly, you may want to consider purchasing additional coverage. If you rent, you must keep in mind that the owner of an insurance policy will generally cover your belongings if they are stolen. But you can get a tenant policy for only a few dollars per month.
Fortunately, in my case, I had an adequate amount of coverage. All in all, my request was more than $ 1300, and was my deductable of $ 250. It was a great comfort in knowing that I was covered and could replace things that were stolen.
Lessons Learned
I learned a lot through this ordeal to stay safe. Here is what I did and what I encourage you to do, too:
- Join or form a Neighborhood Watch group . The program works as a partnership between residents and security forces to improve security and crime prevention.
- Add lights to your property . Security experts say the lighting can reduce theft and vandalism of 50 percent.
- Back up your computer or laptop. This is your best defense to protect your data.
- Test your home security system . My security alarm company tested my system and added a panic button. I now use my alarm system regularly and sleep more easily knowing that he is on every night. With an alarm system, you can also get a home insurance discount.
- Try a wireless driveway alert system . Sold at most hardware stores for about $ 20, motion detectors run on batteries and warns that visitors are on your way to your door.
- for additional installation window locks. A ventilation lock, for example, on a sash window limits the opening few inches. An intruder would not be able to open the window beyond.
- Register your electronic equipment. Registration of the product is very convenient if you need to prove you owned the stolen object and you are without serial number.
- Use a personal property or inventory form of the house to capture the necessary information, including the value of your property and numbers series of electronic equipment.
- Take pictures of your belongings. Digital photos of your high value items will help you identify if they are recovered and help document a claim.
- Be careful with burning. I recently etched my TV and a laptop, but the REA to security experts say it can do much to deter a thief. Because many people are selling their own items engraved yard sale or donate them to charity, there is no longer a stigma against buying them. Etching may also depreciate the value of your things if you ever want to sell them. For example, an engraved iPad can sell up to 30 percent less.
- Consider installing a monitoring application for your laptops, tablets or phones. Applications like Prey can be activated remotely and report the location of a stolen device.
- Consider adding the identity recovery coverage to your homeowners policy. For only $ 20 per year, ERIE cover can help you restore your name and credit. After this experience, I added to my policy.
A break in the case
Life is back to normal when I received an unexpected email from a Good Samaritan claiming to know the man who stole my laptop. Police intervened, and my laptop was recovered a huge relief.
Recently, I received a summons to appear for a preliminary hearing to testify in a criminal case. Although the rest of my stuff was not recovered, the police charged the man who had my laptop with receiving stolen goods.
I hope that justice is done in this unfolding case. But more importantly, I hope that my story makes you think about your personal safety.
Stay safe, my friends.
Know the Facts
See Eriesense Article invite you burglars in your home? This piece includes tips from a reformed burglar on how to protect your home.
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