When making travel plans, request friends, family and/or neighbors to visit your empty home or apartment often while you’re away. Also ask them to pick up telltale signs that you’re absent, such as trash, daily newspapers, flyers, mail and packages. Be sure to notify all services to stop deliveries while you’re away.

Additionally, consider setting up electronics in your home to imitate normal activity. Have lights go on and off periodically at night, as well as recorded music and other sounds of activity. Remember those scenes in the movie, Home Alone?

If you use Facebook or other social media, don’t post anyone-can-read online messages that you’ll be away for a specific period of time. There are numerous cases where clever online thieves scan digital postings to target empty houses and apartments.