Someone broke into your house and took nothing? While this may seem like a bizarre event, there are some potential reasons for this happening. As home security specialists, we got to the bottom of what causes a criminal to break into a home and take nothing.
The most common reasons someone will break into a house and take nothing are stealing personal information or installing recording devices. If you suspect someone broke into your home, you should contact local authorities as soon as possible.
Whether someone took your valuables or not, you should still take the necessary steps to protect your property. Keep reading further if you searched, “someone broke into my house and took nothing.”
What Are The Signs of a Home Invasion?
Before considering the worst-case scenario, you should confirm that someone broke into your home. In most cases, several signs will help you verify that a stranger entered your home while you were gone.
If you lock your doors and windows, attempting a break-in to your property will take physical force. Look for signs like damage to your door or windows that look like someone used a tool like a crowbar.
Along with physical force, a more skilled criminal may use methods like lockpicking to access your home. Someone may have entered the property if you noticed your door was unlocked when you returned home.
Lastly, if you own a home security system, this won’t be a guessing game, and you can confirm someone entered the home. If you captured security footage of the event, you can bring it to the police department as evidence.
5 Reasons Someone Breaks Into a House and Takes Nothing
While it may seem strange that someone would enter your home with the goal of taking nothing, it’s not to be taken lightly. Below are five reasons someone would break into your home and take nothing.
1. Steal Personal Information
When someone breaks into your home, and it seems they didn’t take anything, they may have stolen your personal information. An intruder can take photos of your credit cards, banking details, and identification.
Once someone has your personal information, they can make unauthorized charges through your account and wipe your bank account. While it may seem like your personal items are still in your possession, they may have been stolen.
If you suspect someone has entered your home, you should take precautions to protect your details. Lock your credit cards and call your bank to ensure no charges are made to your accounts.
2. Something Scared Them
Burglars know what they are doing is wrong and want to avoid detection. An intruder will likely run away if you have a security alarm or guard dog. No burglar wants to face the consequences of being attacked by a dog or caught by police.
Once the alarm goes off, it will likely alert nearby neighbors and draw attention to your property. If the alarm doesn’t scare the burglar away completely, it will still give them a sense of urgency to get away.
You can better prepare for the next situation if you don’t have a security system or similar crime deterrent. It’s never too late to improve the security of your home and keep out dangerous criminals.
3. Installed Recording Devices
While intruders may not have taken anything, they could have added a recording device to your home. A stalker or criminal can add hidden cameras or audio recorders to learn more about their victims.
Once you’ve entered your home after a suspected break-in, you should search the property for recording devices. Unfortunately, hidden camera technology has become very good and will require thorough searching.
In a previous article titled The Ultimate Guide to Blocking Out Listening Devices, we detailed the steps to locate recording devices. You can purchase devices such as an RF detector to quickly spot hidden recording devices in your home.
4. They Couldn’t Find Valuables
At Serious Home Security, we emphasize keeping valuables out of reach and hard to find for criminals. Most home invasions last only a few minutes, so an intruder won’t spend the time to look for hiding places.
If you keep your valuables out of common hiding places, you can feel more confident if someone enters your property. If you diligently hid your valuables, an intruder may have given up their search.
An intruder wants to find something they can quickly sell on a marketplace. If you hid items like jewelry, electronics, and money–they would not have much to steal. However, you should not let your guard down and continue to protect your valuables.
5. Uploaded Malware On Computers
With much of our personal information linked to our computers, a new type of crime is occurring. When intruders input a USB drive into your computer, they can quickly upload malware files into your system.
Once the criminal has infected your computer, they can access your files and find sensitive data. From bank details to social media accounts, you can take control of the accounts that matter most to you.
According to cybersecurity professionals, you should download a USB firewall software to notify you of suspicious device activity. We recommend consulting a cybersecurity expert if you aren’t knowledgeable about computers.
What to Do If Someone Breaks Into Your Home?
With 2.5 million burglaries happening in the United States each year, you should have a course of action if it happens to you. The first thing that you should do after a home invasion is contact local law enforcement.
If you are not in any immediate danger, police departments recommend you contact their non-emergency phone number. Police can’t do anything immediately to solve this crime, so you can free up their time to respond to more pressing matters.
Once the police arrive at the scene, they will take a report of the incident and any evidence you have of the break-in. Unfortunately, if the criminal stole nothing, the police likely won’t pursue the crime any further.
However, you can still add your statement to the police report to help them monitor crime trends in the area. After giving your statement, you should improve your home’s security to prevent similar situations.
Frequently Asked Questions
If a burglar spots something they want to steal in their home, they may make several attempts to steal it. In many cases, the burglar will return after around a month to make their second attempt at your valuables. If someone fails the first time, you should upgrade your home’s security in preparation for the next attempt.
When your house has been marked, it has gained the interest of criminals looking to steal your items. A marked house will help signal potential criminals about what house they should invade. Burglars may steal your garbage and look for personal documents they can use to identify you later.
If a burglar watches your house, you may notice someone taking photos of your property. A burglar will take photos to remember which property to target for their next break-in attempt. Additionally, a burglar may dress in a maintenance or mail carrier uniform to view entry points into your home.
Conclusion
When someone breaks into your house and takes nothing, you should assess the situation further. A sneaky criminal can take photos of your personal details or plant recording devices in your room.
If you have evidence someone broke into your house, you should contact local law enforcement immediately. This situation should remind you of the importance of home security and help you address weaknesses in your property.
Someone came into my apartment while I was out and damaged two small Halloween decorations I had on display. They took nothing which is bizarre. Not sure what motivation they had to do this, especially since the Halloween trinkets were only worth a couple of dollars. More freaked out than anything else. Maintenance is supposed to be the only key holder, but they don’t do things like this. My dog was locked in her crate while we were out lucky for them she is very protective. Anyway it looks like I am going to install my hidden camera device to protect against further malicious activity.