Home owners warned ‘opportunistic’ thefts increase by a quarter as clocks go forward

Co-op Insurance is warning home owners to be more vigilant in light of their latest claims data released today.

The findings reveal that two fifths (42%) of home thefts occur after the clocks go forward and of these, over a quarter (28%) are categorised as opportunistic.

When looking at over ten thousand customer claims, the data reveals that the number of opportunistic thefts increases by a quarter (27%) when the clocks go forward, highlighting a trend of homeowners relaxing home security in the lighter months of the year.

This is in stark contrast to the darker, winter months as from October to March, just a fifth (22%) of break-ins are described as opportunistic.

Furthermore, claims data reveals that the number of thefts as a result of homeowners being ‘distracted’ increases when the clocks go forward and account for 9% of break-ins with examples including thieves posing as builders and engineers, to gain access to properties.

When delving into the days where people are most vulnerable, majority of home thefts take place on Fridays (16%), whilst Tuesday is the least popular day with just over a tenth (12%) of break-ins occurring on a Tuesday.

The data also reveals an increase in opportunists taking their chances just after the weekend, with 1 in 7 (14%) of break-ins occurring on a Monday.

For that reason, Co-op Insurance is offering home owners advisory tips to ensure security remains on the agenda as the clocks go forward.

The Co-op Insurance’s home security tips: