New data from SGIO Insurance has revealed portable electronic and storage devices are the most common items stolen from WA households, highlighting the risk of personal data being accessed or used by thieves after a robbery.
SGIO Insurance spokesperson Hannah Dunn said the company’s claims data showed over 2,600 notebooks, tablets and computer accessories had been stolen from WA SGIO Insurance customers over the last financial year and is reminding families to secure their homes this long weekend*.
“This figure represents a 30 per cent increase of the number of notebooks, tablets and computer accessories stolen during the same period three years ago."
“With thousands of families heading away for Easter, we’re reminding everyone to lock up their homes before they head out, regardless of whether they’re leaving the house for five minutes or going away for a few days."
“Our latest claims data shows burglars are also targeting portable and lightweight storage devices such as external hard drives and flash drives, so we’re encouraging the use of security measures on portable devices, such as password protection or encryption."
“We are becoming increasingly dependent on portable electronic devices to store personal information, so it’s more important than ever to make sure we are taking steps to keep not only our personal belongings safe, but our data too,” said Ms Dunn.
In recent years SGIO Insurance claims data shows that burglars consistently target easy to grab items as they tend to be light to carry and easy to pawn.
How to help keep your home and portable electronic devices secure:
The top 10 stolen items from WA:
*Based on SGIO Insurance claims data for Financial Year 2013-2014.
Media hotline number: 02 9292 9742