The Top 5 Items Most Wanted by Thieves

Thieves look to steal property they believe can be removed and easily sold-on! Especially if they cannot be traced back to the scene of the crime! Please give careful consideration to protecting the following types of valuables

Portable Computing Devices

Due to their popularity laptop and tablet (iPad) theft nowadays is a significant risk. They are portable and can be sold-on easily at a good price. There are several ways to help protect your hardware, including alarms, laptop locks and visual deterrents such as stickers or asset labels. Importantly register the serial number of your device on Immobilise along with your house number and postcode simply written on the back with a UV pen and added to your account as an additional identifier. It is recommended that you configure a strong password and also perform a full disk encryption (FDE) to help protect sensitive data stored inside your laptop or tablet PC.

Smartphones

Smartphones are also high on the list of things to steal amongst thieves, and many people find themselves victims of phone theft when taking their high-tech phones out with them. When registering your phone on Immobilise include the IMEI number which can be found easily by dialing the following: *#06#

This is your phones unique number and should the police encounter your device they will typically check for it.

Cash & Jewellery

Do not leave cash or jewellery lying around the house making sure you keep valuables out of sight and where possible place them in a secure place such as a safe. The risk for burglars is increased when your possessions can link them to the scene of a crime, consider taking photos and engraving your jewellery when registering them on immobilise as this will also aid the police in identifying crime and returning property.

Bicycles

In the UK a bicycle is stolen approximately every minute of the day, perhaps worsened due to the increasing popularity of expensive models, which in turn can be sold far too easily via online auctions. Invest in a quality D-Lock and be sure to register your bicycles frame number along with any pictures you have on Immobilise.

We also recommend Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging which can prove your ownership even if the frame number has been removed by the thief.

Home Entertainment Systems

Many new home cinema-type HD and 3D television sets are being stolen because they are valuable, light-weight and common-place in most UK homes. Register the serial number of your TV/DVD and audio equipment on Immobilise along with your postcode which can be easily written on the back with a UV pen. Visual deterrents such as stickers or labels will help to discourage theft by letting thieves know your possessions are traceable.

Share this page

Share this page with your family, friends and colleagues.