There’s nothing I like better during the heat of summer than a trip to the beach or the lake to cool off. But it’s tough to take that weekend trip if car thieves have struck and left your driveway empty. Before you pack that bathing suit in your suitcase, GEICO and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) recommend you do the following to protect your vehicle against theft:
- Take basic, common-sense steps. Remove your keys from the ignition, lock your car doors, keep the windows raised and park in a well-lit area.
- Consider installing an anti-theft device. A warning device, such as an alarm or steering wheel lock, can help dissuade a thief from targeting your vehicle. An immobilizing device, like a kill switch or a fuel pump disabler, will literally stop thieves in their tracks. A tracking device will help police find your vehicle once it has been taken.
In addition to protecting yourself from car theft, it’s important to also watch out for fraudsters on the road who stage accidents. These often organized criminal groups prey on innocent victims to defraud insurance companies. NICB recently re-created some of the brazen methods these criminals use in a series of demonstration videos:
For more information and resources on theft and fraud prevention, and to report if you’ve been a victim of a staged accident, go to www.nicb.org.
Source: Geico Insurance Blog
