Victoria police have urged Ballarat residents to be extra vigilant with their home security to prevent becoming a victim of crime.
It comes after a local aggravated burglary saw a family rocked after simply leaving the front door to their home unlocked.
Stolen was a wallet containing tap & go cards which led to a bank account being drained, the family car, which was later found torched, and even identifying documents which led to problems with a loan application over 18 months later.
The thieves also created bogus mobile phone accounts using the stolen identity items.
An insurance claim by the family was eventually knocked back because the door was left unlocked.
Sergeant Joel Dash of the Proactive Policing Unit says the family is still traumatized after being hit in so many ways.
“We see it often, probably not to this extent.”
“90% of the reports we looked at, of reported ag burgs over the last 12 months, had probably 70 to 80% of these incidences.”
“This one basically and unfortunately covers off on every subject,” Sergeant Dash said.
Meantime operation ‘Safe Plate’ returns this weekend.
Crime prevention officers will be handing out special screws at Bunnings Delacombe between 10am and 1pm this Sunday.
The screws are designed to make the theft of number plates harder for thieves.
