To be absolutely terrified now of house being broken into?

[Honeyandlemon19]

So basically we think we may have been the target or potentially will be target of burglars soon.

On Saturday night a neighbour knocked and told us they had seen two men at the end of our drive with their phones out taking pics of our car/house. He couldn’t tell exactly which but was fairly sure that’s what they were doing. When we came out into his own drive they put up their hoods and walked off. We live at the bottom of a cul de sac & he saw them walk down the street, stop outside and take the pics and then walk back up when he came out. So it seemed very deliberate rather than coincidental.

Neighbour rang the police to report it who came out and spoke to us and a few other neighbours etc. Advised us how to be careful with keys and so on and said they had driven round the area but hadn’t seen anyone.

I actually feel sick with anxiety about being broken into now. We have a 3 month old baby and a very sweet but nervous dog with epilepsy in the house. I am terrified of them coming in while we’re in or of them stealing the dog. The thought of how scared the dog would be with if she was taken away makes me want to cry. She sleeps in the kitchen which the most likely place someone would come in.

We have an alarm but it’s basically just a sensor in each room downstairs and can’t be set because the dog would set it off when she walks around in the night. We can’t really afford a new alarm system.

We’re taking all car and house keys and bags/wallets and so on to bed with us at night. We’re always careful about locking doors and have security lights outside. Apart from that I don’t think there’s much we can do.

I feel like I’m being watched now and am waiting for something bad to happen. I’ve had bad anxiety in the past and this has really triggered it again and set me off imagining every possible scenario, each one worse than the last. I’m at home most of the time with the baby but now don’t feel safe here and also don’t want to leave the house for fear of what could happen to the dog. It’s a horrible feeling. I should add I couldn’t care less about possessions or if the car was taken, it’s the thought of any harm coming to us or our privacy being invaded that I’m scared of.

Has anyone any experience of this or advice on how I can live my life not in constant fear now?

I'd be on for a change in the law where if your dog attacks an intruder, they get a year's supply of doggy treats and not a death sentence. Way it us, I reckon I would have to get stuck j there to protect the dog

I spend my spare time helping to find missing pets, many are taken during break ins. Just because one person hasn't made a report of any doesn't mean it won't happen, it does happen. Rare cases they are located and returned if it is a theft to sell on, many are used as bait for fighting, some are simply found dead. I am not far from where the actor from GOT's house was burgled, laptop and car stolen, along with 2 dogs. The dogs became too hot to handle and were dumped in a box and returned home, sadly many are not found or returned, one poor pup was returned and hung from the owners gate post, another stabbed and one drowned in the bath.

My main concern with anything suspicious was always my pets. I never let anyone know I had them when opening the door. Obviously if you need to walk your dog you can't hide him/her but you do need to be vigilant regarding people grabbing them in the street or lifting them from parks.

People have been seen in daylight taking photos of houses round here. Houses with high security, fancy alarms, gates, the lot. The bastards don't car because they hide their faces.

Make yourself obvious and light the house up like a Christmas tree. Buy a fake TV so it looks as if you are home. When you go out, call out 'Goodbye' and wave. Double back after 10 minutes and go back in.

Also @Honeyandlemon19, I use these -

Omeril lights

I charge them every morning, then put them on each window sill at night, sometimes I put one next to the patio doors. They dont get hot.

It just makes me sleep feel better.

You can have them on a movement sensor or on all night.

You can buy cctv cameras for as little as £40 on eBay. I'd get a couple and loads of signs and put them up so it looks obvious.

The cameras plug into any socket, run off WiFi and you point them out the window. They're activated by motion and can even record sound. My family members have some (I must admit I want to get one too).

If anything, all the signs could act as deterrents.

Look into cheap fake decoy cameras too.

And finally, I read something on a police website about "beware of the dog" signs also working as effective deterrents. They said a study showed they cut crime rates.

honestly i would leave the keys downstairs. if they are coming in that's what they want... i'd rather they just got on with it. your dog is a worry though. baby monitor in kitchen as a short term way of keeping an eye?!

CCTV isn't necessarily expensive. I bought a Blink XT2 system from a catalogue for £80 (it's back up to £90 now) but paid up over three months interest free is only £30 a month.
It is completely wireless and works on your WiFi. It works on motion detection and sends a notification to your phone or tablet straight away. It's night vision, can pick up sound and my fave bit is the fact you can talk to whoever is out there by pressing a button on your phone. It's an Amazon/Alexa one but doesn't need Alexa at all. Easy enough to yell "OI! FU%\OFF!" To anyone you spy out there.

Op you can buy Smart plugs from eBay thy thou can turn on and off from your phone so as to look like you are in.

I have some and I can't fault them xx

I have been looking at CCTV but would I have to get someone out to drill them into the walls, or put wires through the wall?
Im clueless. My local firm charges £400 to install.

We're living in a similar situation, so I understand the concern. In this area, thieves couldn't care less about cctv, they beat it by wearing hoods/facemasks.

OP, I don’t wish to upset you, but don’t take your car keys to bed, if (IF) they did break in for your keys or to enable them to use that gadget whereby they send a signal to your keys in order to steal the cars, they won’t be able to do it and will likely come looking for them, I used to take keys to bed when DH away, but my parents rightly suggested that if someone wants to steal a car, let them, they’re insured pieces of metal and not worth your guarding them. You are more important. Leave the keys away from view and away from doors, but leave them downstairs.
Try not to worry too much, I know that’s hard. Get some extra locking mechanisms for your windows and doors.

We were burgled , we now have an Adt alarm and cctv . Cars parked in the garage .
Please try not to over stress yourself chances are they’ve been spooked and won’t come back .
Be careful keep windows locked and doors locked.

What a horrible feeling to feel unsafe in your own home.
I know this wouldn't necessarily prevent them but I'd be tempted to fuck with anyone watching the house by little pranks like spreading a loud of flour on the path up to your house, chalking 'helpful' arrows and printing out stupid cartoons of burglars and sticking them on your door.
Obviously it risks antagonising but I think it may help you take back control and try to have a laugh at their expense. And they'll know you know they took photos of your house. Bastards.

OP if you have a garden you could also plant some hawthorn or holly and put lots of pots under your downstairs windows and maybe gravel on the drive/path. If you have anything big growing around your house that someone would be able to hide behind /blocks view to your house from neighbours then give it a trim.

Keep the area light, use those fake cameras if necessary.
Try not to worry, they may have moved on to their next victim.
Unfortunately it is rampant lately, I personally worry about the burglars who simply knock and push their way in.
Keep secure keep safe. Please don't panic to much as it can take over you.

Could it be Pokèmon?

I just looked on an old MN thread.

I have just put my postcode on Pogomap and quite a few Pokèmon stops came up.

Could it be Pokèmon?
Excellent idea. It is definitely a possibility.

Or copying your car plates for exporting stolen vehicles.
Do you have a nice car in the driveway?
I doubt house opportunist burglars take photos unless it was a tiger raid for a CEO.

We've been burgled twice, both times they took only what they'd come for (we were targeted specifically) and left everything else. It's still horrible, don't get me wrong, but chances are that's what would happen. When it happened our instinct at first was to move the items to somewhere 'safer' but as everyone has said, better to let them get what they want and go rather than risk them coming looking.

We made a few changes but already had outside light and gravel. We were told not to leave the hallway light on by itself as realistically, everyone knows it's being left on to look like someone is up, since most people don't make a habit of sitting in their hallway. Makes sense to me anyway. We got timers and it's the only thing now that would persuade me towards smart home systems, being able to randomly flick lights on and off remotely from upstairs or not even being in the house.

Haha I love the idea they were just playing Pokemon, but neighbour said they looked in their 30s roughly. Think that’s what spooked me more, the idea that it wasn’t just young lads who maybe took a fancy to the car but maybe something more sinister.

@EmeraldShamrock I have actually been targeted as part of a tiger kidnapping scheme before. Police intelligence found I had been followed for several months etc. Thankfully plot was discovered before they acted & evidence pointed to them ultimately deciding on a different target but I think the whole experience and thought of being watched is what started my anxiety about it I’ve now left that career and moved house but the thought of it still freaks me out.

I'm sorry to hear this has happened. We had a similar thing where a car drove onto our drive one Saturday night and then just sped off. It's very unsettling.
You need to be proactive enough to feel safer but I'm afraid the feelings are ones that only time will fully take away.
With a three month old you will already be feeling more anxious and I can remember spending long nights checking for people whilst up feeding our first baby.
This time round we have CCTV at the front and it's so reassuring when you hear a noise to check it's just a car going past. You can even just have them in a window and check from your phone.
Also consider sash jammers with UPVC doors.
Fingers crossed it was just nothing - or even if not perhaps they have been scared off by the vigilant neighbours. Are you part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme? That's something you could cheaply do and get some signs up quickly.

I have actually been targeted as part of a tiger kidnapping scheme before. Police intelligence found I had been followed for several months etc.

@OP, Does this really happen in the UK? Are you married to Christian Grey?

Chloe84 You're joking are you.
Of course Tiger raids happen in the UK. There have been many in Ireland, not sure why you believe Tiger raids only happen in movies.

@Chloe84 🤦‍♀️

Get yourself some wireless Reolink Wifi cameras with solar panels.
You can put them anywhere (within reach of Wifi), and they alert you when someone comes onto your property.
You can see intruders in real time and set off an alarm or even shout at them!

reolink.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInMOy49TS5QIVmLPtCh2angrSEAAYASAAEgLo3fD_BwE