In my 2nd installment of how not to operate, and why I should listen to the Arfcom Survival Hive...

My home was broken into this evening.  We went out to eat and do some shopping.  Normal end of the world day stuff.  I hadn't expected getting to clear my house when I got home, and OH SO WISHING THEY HAD BEEN HERE WHEN I GOT HOME!!!!  I'm so fucking mad I'm sick to my stomach and that's even after the police report, trying to piece my door back together, and walking miles and riding my 4wheeler for hours trying to track foot prints in this snow storm.  

Sometime between 2pm and 7pm EST my door was busted through and my home was entered.  At first we thought nothing was stolen, but later I discovered that the incredibly stupid fucking thief had stolen one very important item...  We HAD a firebox in our closet that contained ALL of our important documents.  My DD214, the deeds to our vehicles, house mortgage papers, birth certificates, social security cards, diplomas, old (and irreplaceable) family photos, the ORIGINAL form 4s and form 1s of all my NFA items, etc., etc., etc......  You name it.  Every single piece of important paperwork I had was in that fucking box.....  Now it is all gone.  

I had even left that (pretty damn heavy) firebox unlocked, specifically so that if anyone ever had broken in, they would open it and thus see there were no valuables such as money, jewelry, coins, weapons, etc. inside......  The douchebags took it anyway.

We can't find anything else missing, and my gun room door wasn't even touched (as far as I can tell).  There was a fifty dollar bill on my wife's dresser along with diamond rings, gold jewelry, etc.  My ipad and other stuff was on my night stand.  A PVS-14 was sitting on top of my dresser in an Otterbox.  Etc., etc., etc....  They took nothing of any worth (that we can tell) except that damn firebox.....  I'm so fucked.  I'm furious.  What the FUCK?!?!

I have read on here multiple times about backing up all of my important documents by scanning them and putting them on thumb drives and burned onto DVD, etc...  I even bought thumb drives and DVDs to do that with.  I have two fucking printer/fax/scanners here to do it with.  I just simply fucked around and didn't actually do it.  I read the advice, said "yep, better do that!", and then like an idiot fucking didn't.

[SCAN AND BACK UP YOUR IMPORTANT SHIT!!!!!!!!!

For me I guess the world really did fucking end today.  I died on fucking paper.  My documentary existence shuffled off this mortal coil.

I live in WV, out in the country side.  People don't lock car or house doors, etc.  Mine was dead bolted all around, but got smashed in anyway.  NOWHERE is safe.  Backup your stuff or lose it.

Now my family is terrified, and I guess when I manage to calm down I get to spend a shit load of money on an alarm system, video cameras, etc.  $$$$$

Fuck my life.   BACKUP your shit!!!!!!

Rant off.

Thieves suck.

Don't let it ruin your christmas, most of it can be replaced, and the family is just happy that you're safe.

That sucks.. though I do like the shit out of your word fu.

Hehheh.  Thanks.  I'm in a particularly rare mood tonight.  I was scared shitless at first, and cleared the house to my gun room with my Glock 23.  Once I got there I grabbed my 6933 and started praying they were fucking hiding upstairs somewhere.  No such fucking luck though.  I probably looked like Halfast's damn  "DJ" character while riding all over with a Colt Commando on my 4wheeler.  I can now see myself slipping down the moral slide a bunch of notches when it's my own shit that gets broken into.

Ask yourself why that only.












 

Thanks, and I know you're right.  It's just so fucking VIOLATING to find out someone actually broke into your home.  I'm a cop, and shit happens, but in my little bubble I ain't used to it actually happening to me.  We think that may be why they bailed early actually.  I just got my new vest last week (on vacation now), and it was laying at the foot of the bed with all my thug gear on it.  We think they saw the agency patches and decided to bail.  I normally keep all that stuff locked up in my truck or the gun room, but that vest might have saved a bunch of my stuff.LOL

Luckily my 5 year old daughter was at my parents house, and we didn't tell her what happened.  I picked her up after the locals left, put her to bed, and went out hunting.  My wife is a mess, and will probably stay that way for a while.  I bet she listens next time I tell her she needs to practice shooting more though.  I work 12 hour midnights, and she's home without me most nights.  I had two dobies (avatar), but had to put my male down last spring.  My female was in the garage where they busted the door through, and she was acting goofy but unhurt when we got home.  I can't find a scratch on her, and for the life of me I can't figure out why she didn't eat the shit out of them.  She is normally pretty squirrely, and has bitten before.  The bitch sold me out tonight.  I guess I'm also lucky they didn't kill her, but damn, she is fired.  I wish my male had still been here.  He was the best dog I've ever owned, and was an honest 125 pound chainsaw from Kimbertal.  Not that namby pamby kind of dobie you see on TV.

I wish I could put some fucking claymores out.  Stupid mantrapping bullshit laws.  I'd rather have done thousands of dollars worth of damage and cleaned up a fucking mess than what happened.  Somebody entered MY fucking castle, stole from me, and walked the fuck out.  That is some ball busting shit right there.

I need to build a real fucking house and sell this damn place.  My family will probably never feel safe here again.  I know you are right, and that actually it could have been far worse, but it just really pops your bubble when this shit happens.  That stuff is supposed to happen to "other" people.

On the bright side:  I guess I might scan all the stuff I'll have to replace.  

I also never wanted cameras inside my house.  Now I really wish I had put some in here.  Some decent video of the fucker who did this would be priceless if I could find the motherfucker.

I know.  It pains my brain to try figuring it out.  Sometimes people do really stupid illogical shit I guess.  Ot of everything they could have took, why that damned box?  Maybe they were too stupid to actually try opening the damned thing, and thought it was locked with something valuable inside?

The fact that my dog is still alive and there aren't any body parts in the garage almost makes me wonder if it was someone she knew, but anyone that knows me would have either left my place alone or went for broke I'd have thought. Maybe they were using just a flashlight and didn't turn on any lights?  Maybe they went straight for the closet and took the box first, and then spazzed out on the next trip when they saw my stormtrooper gear?  I dunno....

Sorry for your loss.

All I can come up with is that they think maybe they can live pretty good for a while under the name Variable556.

I'd suggest you renumber all bank accounts, credit cards, keep an eye on your credit record (often and for a while), etc.  This could turn out to be a bigger pain in the butt than replacing some jewelry and guns would ever be.

ETA:  I backed up all my improtant papers this year and have a couple copies on thumb drives and disks.  I don't keep my little "safe"/firebox in the closet, though.  I guess I need to find a cheap scanner, because I'm not all that comfortable using my work scanner (and I'm constantly finding/receiving additional documents I need to scan).

I'd also feel a little more secure if I got a couple more secure thumb drives, because only one of my copies is on a secured one and multiple copies floating around between my safe and BOB.

Sorry for your woes brother.

Hopefully, your story will kick me in gear, as I too bought thumb drives,etc, a few years back, with the intention of copying EVERYTHING, and encrytping it all, as was done in a thread on here. Thread pops up from time to time, so hopefully someone can post a link in here, and the slackers amongst us will get on it.

Again, sorry about it. I know first hand how unnerving it can be. We have an unsolved arson attempt from years back, and I STILL think about it from time to time, and wonder who and why. And it was obviously personal!

I didn't sleep for quite a few nights and NEVER w/out something at hand (arson was at our business, not our home, but still, figured if someone was THAT mad......)

Man Variable that sucks! I would be really suspicious in this situation also. Maybe a distant friend/family member has acquired an expensive addiction and needs to takeover your finances/LIFE to keep the glory train rolling?? I dunno the situation and don't want to come off as anything but respectful here...but this was a targeted hit. Not the usual smash and grab, otherwise they would have picked a softer target in your ao. Like was mentioned above replace all cc's, bank accounts, setup fraud alerts on your credit record, watch your county's registry of the house deed, car title loans, safety deposit boxs, anything you had in your firebox trail of $$ crumbs is now in the wild  And count your blessings, your family is intact for Xmas and you've had your wakeup call without anybody getting hurt

Blackops_1.

Sorry to hear that happened to you and thanks for the PSA.  I've been meaning to scan everything for years. I'll knock it out over the holidays.  


Break ins are at a peak this time of year.....early darkness and presents under the tree.   Hopefully your stuff will turn up in somebody's trash and get returned to you.

Variable556, I am sorry to hear about your home and items, but I am happy to hear that you and your family are fine.  



Most of the documents can be replaced.  You can not replace lost people.


 

it sounds like the thief might be after your docs so as to do an identity theft or impersonation deal.
for example, i just got my driver's license renewal paperwork, and under our state's system i need a total of 6 "points" from a bunch of different documents to get a new D/L.
for example, my current D/L + passport + CCW + proof of address etc is needed.

just thinking out loud here why they skipped past the goods and went for the papers.

ar-jedi

We think someone tried to break into my place last night too. We're out of the state and my Mom is there house sitting. Guy pulled up cut off his lights and started messing with the door. It was completely dark as it aas like 11 and she was playing a hand held game and getting ready for bed. When she cut on the porch light the pussy took off. I'm the last house on my dirt road so a accident isn't likely.

I'd be concerned about identity theft right now.

I don't know exactly what their service provides, but you might want to look into something like LifeLock ASAP.

Thanks for the reminder.

I scan my docs about every six months to a year to catch anything thats changed since the last time.....

Probably wouldn't hurt to run through the house taking some dated pics for insurance purposes either.

I must admit that it sounds a little suspicious to me.  It has been my experience that thieves always take firearms, electronics and cash/jewelry.... items they can easily turn into cash.   Very seldom does someone take an unlocked lock box and fail to take obvious items of value unless that lockbox contains the previously listed items.

Being a leo, if you think hard enough, you may be able to determine a suspect or two.  It may be someone who is after YOU or a specific item YOU have.  

Have there been other burglaries in the area with a similar MO?

This.

If you can afford it, hire a PI immediately.  the cops take reports.  Someone knew EXACTLY what they were looking for and where to look.  Whoever did this is someone that you know.

ACT NOW!

Ops

Once again, YOU KNOW WHO DID THIS.

I dunno, in this case. When someone breaks in and the only things touch is "the good stuff" then it's a high probability it was someone you know, someone who knew exactly what good stuff you had and where it probably was.  In this case, it's so bizarre, it could be anybody.

This is likely someone that knows you and wants something specific in that box or something they thought would be in that box.  I would put the money on someone that is related by blood or marriage.

Ex, my own kids, in-laws, other relatives, people at work, spouses friends, and my friends would be where I would look first..


Many years ago we returned from a funeral to find almost exactly what you describe.  Lots of valuables in plain site were untouched, cash on the kitchen table, jewellery in a jewellery box on the dresser...only thing missing was a tin "cash box", unlocked, that was buried deep in a cedar chest full of quilts. It contained nothing but family papers.

Don't try to make sense of thieves.  I've seen them do some completely illogical shit.  When someone breaks into a house, they are under an incredible amount of stress.  Don't expect them to make logical decisions.  

I haven't seen your house but I'm voting on someone who saw the safe and just made the assumption that since you keep valuables in sight, whatever is in that box must be incredibly valuable.  

Another thought....someone now knows what's in your house.   They didn't get anything useful from your safe.  They know you have nice stuff.  They might come back.  

I doubt that they are identity thieves.   Most burglars aren't that sophisticated.  

I love it when burglars steal checks and credit cards.  When they use them it usually puts them on camera somewhere.

well it obviously sounds like like an amateur/first timer.     seriously.

Obviously you still need to do all the fraud stuff on your accounts, but I'm thinking identity theft isn't the likely motive. If it was they would not want you to know anything was taken and thus would not have broken doors or taken the lockbox. Identity thieves like to swipe mail from mailboxes and similar so they have time to do their fraud before you figure it out, when you know they stol stuff they have only a matter of hours to do anything. Whatever it is it sounds like either a total amateur, or a very targeted crime, and I'm leaning towrds the later.

High probability of a return if they didn't find what they were after and very high risk of violence at that point as it could lead to a home invasion type eveny where they try to get you to give up whatever they are after. Under no circumstances should anyone be left home alone and when you are home you need perimeter alarms covering the yard, need to be carrying 100% of the time and ensure you have your cell handy with 911 speed dial. I recall in another thread an investigator mentioned a targeted home invasion where people were killed by perps trying to get a safe combo or whatever.

My ex and I had to put down our dog last year, 2011. He wasn't even gone 4 months when someone broke into her house and stole his ern which I guess looked like a jewelery box. Fuckers, police made an arrest but he is gone.

"If" you had a couple of Dobermans like shown in your avatar - They would NOT have bothered with your home...

I 'do' have a couple of Dobermans and god help any dumbass stupid enough to try to come inside when I am not home.

edit:


What good is a dog that is locked in the garage when your valuables are inside the home??? Almost as worthless as a dog that is locked inside a crate...

The reason they take the firebox is because they figure you keep all the "really good" stuff in there such as cash, jewelry, guns, medications (oxycodone, suboxone etc...). Best advice I can give you is hide your stuff in the basement or above the rafters in the garage or attic, they won't waste their time rummaging through insulation or looking for a ladder to get up somewhere that looks like nothing more than storage. It'll be a bit of a pain for you to access the thing but well worth it, second, buy/make a secure thumb drive and scan/photograph all serial numbers and important documents. Keep that thumb drive someplace where it won't be taken (See Above).  Last, who knew you were not gonna be home during the time of the break in? and who knew where the firebox was? You have any "friends/relatives/workmen" over lately?

My guess is that it is someone that knows you prep, has been in your house before and saw that box, they thought it was full of gold and silver. Why they didn't try opening it is beyond me.

Also, your chances of being robbed again are much higher.

ETA: Check trash cans and dumpsters in your area, there is a chance that when they saw it was paperwork they tossed it all in a can.

Sorry to hear about your troubles.  I hope your family can put this behind you quickly.

The prepping project that gave me the most satisfaction was finishing backing up all my pictures and documents.  Better than the 100s of pounds of food I'vepacked away or the cases of ammo I've put back.  I bought a scanner and every picture my wife and I have in our home is now backed up along with documents.

I followed the Listening to Katrina workbook pretty closely, and followed his advice.  

Get it done.

VERY likely.

My only problem with that theory is that anyone who knew me also would have known I'm a Fed.  Why in the hell would they try to steal my identity?  That would seem particularly stupid....  Also if they knew me, they WOULD have known I have OPSEC EDIT--- JUST NORMAL OLD JUNK LIKE YOU'D LOSE IN ANY FISHING TRAGEDY.  

If they knew me:  OPSEC EDIT----- STUFF.....  They didn't even try to get in the OPSEC EDIT.  If they knew me, what kind of moron would pass up OPSEC EDIT-- STUFF to steal a box that they'd never seen before, and that only had paperwork in it?  It just doesn't makes sense to me.

PI: I can't afford that.  I'm still hoping my crap turns up in a ditch somewhere....

She has her own dog door in the garage.  We don 't normally allow her in the house, but since the foyer door was busted through and standing wide open...  She could certainly come in the same way they did.

Yeah, the "normal" fire safe is in my OPSEC EDIT.  I always kept the paperwork out of it, figuring if someone ever stole all of my crap, then at least I wouldn't be adding insult to injury.  Silly me.LOL

The wife usually wears her OPSEC EDIT--- stuff, but for whatever reason didn't put them on yesterday.  

I'm going to hide the night vision.  If someone breaks in here again, and I manage to figure out who it is, I'm gonna need it...

damn dude that sucks. being a cop you know how stupid most criminals are, they likely got all freaked out and grabbed the first thing they could and split.

some assholes broke into my house one time, stole a bunch of random shit, including the remote for my surround sound system, not the system itsself,

which rendered the thing fuckin useless.....

there is no accounting for crackhead behavior.  cheer up and have a great Christmas (and I hope you get your stuff back. )-TM

I shred all the CC kind of info stuff.  Being lazy me, there was a large stack of non-shredded documents laying on TOP of the shredder....  It doesn't look like that pile was even touched.  

If I were an ID thief I would have went for all those unshredded bills, receipts, and other financial crap that was simply laying there for the easy pickings.

PSA #3 I guess:   Actually empty your shredder when it gets full, and keep shredding all the shit that stacks up on top of it because you're lazy...  My shredder is a decent crosscut one, but the container isn't large enough for my tastes.  I think I'll get a larger one now, and use it a good bit more faithfully.

I never throw any kind of useful info in the trash, eventually shred everything, and burn the shreds.  But leaving them lay in a pile on top of the shredder is pretty stupid.  I guess I got lucky there.  I have a pretty decent memory for the particular way I haphazardly stack crap in piles, so I'm pretty confident that the stack wasn't touched.  

I wouldn't think my insurance policies, vehicle deeds, and crap like that would be particularly useful to someone else.  If I were that motivated to go after someone's assets, I'd have OPSEC EDIT-- TAKEN ANYTHING MORE VALUABLE!  That would have been my sole focus if I were a thief.  Much easier to get cash out of that stuff, and no paper trail need be created that way.

Impersonate a federal LE?  That just seems reeaaalllyy dumb to me.  If they try, they are likely going to get caught in a very major way.

Ever have a disagreement about the ownership of the rare family pics or other docs that were in there with someone in your family?
They broke on and took what they were after, there isn't the slightest doubt about this. I've investigated hundreds of burgs, and I say family member.
As Ops said, you know the person that did this.

Thanks, and very true.  I have to go back to work on the 28th, and betwixt now and then I have to do some major rethinking.  I'm going to need a serious alarm system if I can afford it.  Video too.

In the weird way of Jerry Seinfeld's "Even Steven", I received a check today from our homeowners insurance.  They paid me $3500 for roof damage sustained during the Derecho storm last summer.  Instead of just replacing the missing shingles, I already had a new steel roof installed.  I guess I better put this check towards site security preps this time!

Who is the best alarm company?  I'm not techno enough to put all of that stuff in.  I routinely monitor/use cameras and alarm systems at work, but they are all .gov stuff and our own techs contract out to companies for hardware and usually do the installs themself.  I won't get any help there I doubt.  

That does concern me some, but what irks me about that is this:  If someone were savvy enough to do that kind of crap, would they pick a Fed to try impersonating?  That just seems particularly dumb.  For obvious personal liability reasons I never acknowledge which agency I work for, but it is a very large and pretty old investigative law enforcement agency...  My brand spanking new raid vest was propped up at the foot of the bed in federal blue with very prominent large yellow letters screaming who I was.  I wish like hell I could abuse work resources and aim them at this event, but it wouldn't come close to justifying my employers involvement, and none of their resources were touched.  If they had taken my duty weapon or other sensitive stuff I'd possibly be getting grief at work for it, but the thief would be ridiculously sorry after the investigation was over.  I'm lucky they never got to any of that stuff, but they are damned lucky too.  As it is, I'm stuck in the ordinary "sucks to be me" category that evryone else is normally in.  It'll certainly help build my empathy for theft victims in the future.

I've got decent multiple partial boot prints, but that's about it, and I have to leave it with the locals.  My only concession was that since I'm a LEO, the locals pretended to pay more attention while doing the report and comiserating my loss.LOL  maybe I'll get lucky, but it's likely a wash at this point.

Yes, that is definitely some messed up crap.  I'm glad your mom is ok.  Wouldn't you have just loved to have been home alone waiting for them when it happened!

It would be a lie to say that it doesn't pucker my sphincter, but I would deem it much more favorable to them getting away with it and having to fear/await the next incident.

That's just it, I haven't had any family disputes, and no one would have wanted the pics but me.  They were given to me because nobody else cared.

Thanks man (and everybody else too!).  I'm leaning more your way at the moment.  This just looks like a really stupid theft to me so far.

Someone meantioned pill hunters.  That may well be also.  My neighbor is the county Sheriff, and he and everybody else said that's the main target lately.  We specifically don't keep meds in the bathroom med cabinets, nor anywhere else obvious.  They might have just snatched the box while pill hunting.  Perhaps chemical stupidity precluded them just opening the damned thing....

As for alarm companies - Don't get roped into a contract no matter what! Most companies will tell you that the basic system is 'free' and then have you sign a contract for the monitoring service. Then they will overcharge the shit out of you for the monthy monitoring fees and jack your rates up for it whenever they feel like it...

A good alarm AND the monitoring does not 'need' to cost that much. I use NCA for my monitoring service and it is only $10.00 per month. They have never jacked my rate either and I have been with them for YEARS. NCA will install alarms as well as reprogram your existing alarms to work with their monitoring system / call center.

It is better and cheaper in the long run to pay for the system cost and installation upfront so that you can avoid the higher monthly fees associated with the contracts...


Get a new dog. If you are concerned that a relative may have done this - limit the dogs exposure to any and all non-immidiate family members. (put fido in spare room if company comes over)

Think about the sound that the alarm is going to make if it goes off and how it will affect the dogs... Plan for this so the dogs will act accordingly. Mine have been around loud noises all their life and are unaffected by crap like that. I have also 'accidentally' set off the home alarm enough times to 'know' that the noise is not going to freak them out. It blows my mind how it can be loud as hell at my workplace (machinery running) yet the dogs are STILL able to hear it when the back door even so much as 'jiggles'. They both take off like bats out of hell to see who can 'get it' first when they hear noises back there near the doors... Mine get lots of praise when they do crap like this - Even more when they do as they are told when it is an actual customer or delivery person back there.

Hopefully, they are dumb enough to commit identity theft...then you can find out who they are.  I had a guy do some id theft on me a few years ago and through working with the agencies and others looking for him, I found him, made his life....mmmmm, shall we say slightly uncomfortable?

Good luck out there everybody, take Variable's advice,it can happen to you.

Sorry to hear. The stuff that is replaceable works on a normal business schedule and their off for the holidays.

Someone asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told them a scanner.  I don't need to wait for a gift and need to just go get one. I need backups of my stuff.

Thanks for sharing your trouble.  And I hope you bust the perps.

nct

Would have been a lot more interesting but he'd have never made it inside to put him down. Would have at least got a look at him though. She didn't want to open the door and the windows were steamed up.

Any old friends that turned into enemies?   If I hated you bad enough, and could get those documents, I could make your life miserable.

Make any arrests lately of someone who wanted revenge?



ETA: Sorry sbout your loss. I too have had my vehicles broken into and man did i feel like shit for a long time.  I cant imagine how we would feel if some guy was in here looking at our stuff.

That sucks, and I don't mean to criticize, but if your plan was to keep all your most important paperwork in an unlocked firebox that can be carried, with the idea that thieves would open it, realize the contents were not what they wanted, and leave it alone, you over-thought the issue.  My guess is you were not targeted for identity theft by some mastermind, they were ordinary smash and grab thieves who figured whatever was in the "safe" was most valuable and just carried it out for later access.

I keep copies in my house and originals in a safe deposit box.

I'm guessing the tweekers that did this left shitstains somewhere...