In a crisis, your home is your last line of defense. And looters know it. When SHTF, desperate individuals will target properties that look vulnerable, searching for food, supplies, and anything valuable. But what if you could turn your home into a psychological minefield, confusing and deterring intruders before they even set foot inside? What if you could fool looters?
Sounds good?
This article reveals 20 ingenious ways to fool looters when they step onto your property. From illusionary tactics to smart deterrents, these strategies will make your home appear uninviting, risky, dangerous, or just plain not worth the trouble. The goal? Keeping you and your family safe without drawing unnecessary attention.
Many of these strategies were already discussed and presented on AAP before. The others are taken from the Navy Seal’s Bug-In Guide by Joel Lambert. It teaches you highly-effective strategies to deal with a serious crisis and looter-proof your property so you are prepared the way a real navy seal would be. Learn things like:
- How to make your house invisible after SHTF
- Signs to avoid on your property
- Ingenious, violence-free ways to keep looters off your property
- What hiding places looters never check
- SEAL home survival tactics for the next crisis
- The most common security mistakes you’re probably guilty of too
The Bug-In Guide is now available at a special price of $37 and you also get two more bonuses:
- How To Become Self-Sufficient on 4 Acres of Land
- How to Outlive an EMP the Early Pioneer Way
The last time this deal was available it only lasted a week so ACT FAST! See if the book bundle is still available at the discounted price here!
Now let’s get back to the main subject we talk about and showcase 20 very effective and ingenious ways to fool looters when stepping on your property:
Employ Deceptive Signage
Employing deceptive signage can effectively deter potential looters. This strategy involves displaying signs suggesting a high risk for intruders, such as CCTV surveillance or alarm system warnings.
However, ensure your signs are credible and not overly alarming to avoid undue attention. For instance, a simple “Beware of Dog” sign can be more effective than biohazard warnings.
Carefully crafted and positioned, your signage can persuade would-be intruders to seek easier targets. Be cautious of common pitfalls though. Read this article on Avoiding These 5 Signs On Your Property to learn more.
Create False Entry Points
Creating false entry points is a clever way to misdirect potential looters. This involves making areas of your home appear accessible when they aren’t, leading intruders to waste time and effort.
For example, you can install a fake door or gate that leads to a walled-off section. Alternatively, you can reinforce specific windows while leaving others clearly visible but rigged to trigger an alarm.
When intruders see an easy entry point, they will likely take the bait. Meanwhile, your actual entrances remain secured. With strategic planning, you can use this method to frustrate looters and potentially deter them from persisting in their attempts.
Train a Dog
Training a dog can be a versatile strategy in home defense. Dogs not only offer companionship but can also act as an effective deterrent to looters.
Their keen senses can detect potential intruders before any human can, and their barks can serve as an alarm system. Training should focus on obedience, alertness, and response to specific commands. Certain breeds are better suited to guard duties, so choosing the right dog is critical.
To understand which breeds are best prepared to handle such a situation, read this guide on the Best Dogs To Have Around For SHTF. Remember, a well-trained dog can be your first line of defense and a loving friend.
Know How To Use A Gun
Knowing how to use a gun effectively and safely is crucial for home defense. The process involves more than simply pulling the trigger; you must understand gun safety, handling, operation, and maintenance.
Training regularly will improve your precision and response time. Among the vast array of firearms available, the AR-15 stands out due to its versatility, reliability, and ease of use. Its semi-automatic nature makes it a favored choice for many.
However, an AR-15 requires regular upkeep. You can read my guide on Cleaning and Lubricating Your AR-15 for maintenance tips. Remember, the best gun for you is one you can operate safely and effectively.
Since we are talking about guns, you might also want to look at my No Grid Projects book. It features a section on How to Make Black Powder at Home and another one on how to use backyard traps and alarms for looters and intruders (we will talk about that later on in the article too). I even teach you how to set up an advanced aquaponics farm and a no-grid air conditioning unit you will love during hot days. Read more here!
Simulate the Illusion of Poverty
Simulating the illusion of poverty can be a smart way to deter potential looters. This strategy involves creating an appearance that suggests there’s nothing of value to steal. You can achieve this by limiting visible signs of wealth on your property.
Keep flashy vehicles or expensive equipment hidden from view. Allow your exterior to appear slightly unkempt, as a meticulously maintained property may attract attention. Even small details like generic rather than brand-name items in your trash can contribute to the illusion. Think outside the box and try to put yourself in the shoes of the thief. What would you look for when selecting a target? This is what you have to avoid!
Remember, the goal isn’t actual poverty but the perception of it, encouraging potential intruders to bypass your home for a seemingly wealthier target.
Set Up a Fake Safe House
Setting up a fake safe house is a cunning trick to divert potential looters. This strategy involves creating an area that appears valuable but is filled with decoys or is empty.
This could be a locked room or a backyard shed, with fake security cameras or alarm signs adding credibility. When intruders waste time on the decoy, your actual valuables stay safe elsewhere.
This tactic not only dissuades further search but also buys you time to retreat to a secure place. To learn more about creating a secure location in your home, check out my guide on How To Build a Panic Room.
Install Hidden Surveillance
Installing hidden surveillance can provide you with vital information about who is approaching your property and their intentions. With technological advancement, you can purchase small, high-quality cameras that are easily hidden around your home.
Position them in strategic locations such as entrances, windows, or perimeter fences. The footage can be invaluable in identifying potential threats, giving you time to react appropriately. And they are very useful as proof after an incident happened and you need to justify your actions.
Moreover, many of these devices can send alerts directly to your phone, providing real-time updates. To understand more about maximizing your home’s security, we have a comprehensive guide on Home Security Tips.
Utilize Camouflaged Storage
Utilizing camouflaged storage is an innovative way to hide your valuables from potential looters. The concept involves blending storage areas into the environment so they’re challenging to locate.
You can convert furniture, like bookshelves or cabinets, into hidden compartments or even bury waterproof containers in the yard. Some people go as far as building underground storage rooms.
The trick is to ensure the camouflage doesn’t attract attention and the storage is accessible when needed. For more techniques on hiding your valuable items effectively, this guide on Camouflage and Concealment provides an extensive range of helpful tips and tricks.
Deploy Decoy Items
Deploying decoy items is a strategy deeply rooted in military history, and it’s a practical tactic you can use to protect your property. This involves placing less valuable or counterfeit items in obvious spots and tricking looters into believing they’ve struck gold.
During World War II, militaries used inflatable tanks and dummy aircraft to deceive enemies about their actual forces and locations. Similarly, you can use a dummy safe or inexpensive costume jewelry to divert attention from your real valuables.
If looters believe they’ve found your stash, they’re less likely to search further, thus protecting your belongings and buying you time to take action.
Set Up A Trip Wire Alarm
Setting up a trip wire alarm can be a very effective perimeter security measure. This simple device triggers an alarm when someone crosses an invisible line, alerting you of an intrusion.
The concept involves stretching a wire, filament, or fishing line across a pathway and linking it to a noisemaker or flare.
It’s essential to keep the wires concealed to catch intruders off guard. Want to learn more about this effective security measure? Check out this step-by-step guide on How To Install A Trip Wire Alarm On Your Property.
Fabricate a Ghost Occupant
Fabricating a ghost occupant can serve as a powerful deterrent to would-be looters. The idea is to create the illusion that someone is home even when the house is empty. But not like Kevin did in Home Alone. It needs to look real.
You can achieve this by using timers on lights or radios to simulate activity or even by using a TV simulator, which mimics the light of an actual television. You might also consider an automatic curtain opener that changes the appearance of your home throughout the day.
These tactics can dissuade intruders who prefer to target empty properties, providing an additional layer of protection when you’re away from home.
Make Use Of Phantom Noise Generators
Using phantom noise generators is an ingenious way to deter potential intruders. These devices can simulate various sounds that suggest your home is occupied, such as footsteps, talking, or a dog barking.
You can set them to operate at random intervals, creating an unpredictable pattern of noise that mimics human activity. By creating the illusion of an active household, you can dissuade potential looters from attempting to invade your property.
This tactic is particularly effective when used in conjunction with other strategies. Check out my guide about Home Defense In Case Of SHTF for more detailed strategies and tips.
Showcase Faux Alarm Systems
Showcasing faux alarm systems can work as a psychological deterrent for potential looters. This involves using visible but non-functional equipment, such as dummy security cameras or alarm system stickers, to create the illusion of a robust security system.
While this may not stop a determined intruder, it can certainly make your home seem like a more challenging target, potentially causing looters to move on to an easier target.
If you’re interested in more effective and actual alarm systems, particularly ones that can work in an off-grid situation, read my guide on DIY Off Grid Alarm Systems.
Mirror Looter Tactics
Mirroring looter tactics can offer valuable insights for protecting your property. This involves understanding the mindset and strategies of looters and using that knowledge to bolster your defenses.
For instance, looters often scout properties in daylight to assess occupancy and security measures. By being aware of this, you can control what they see, creating illusions of robust security or lower value.
Recognizing common entry points allows for their fortification and surveillance. Understanding the looter’s playbook can help anticipate and counteract their actions effectively.
Plant Defensive Landscaping
Planting defensive landscaping is an effective and natural method to deter potential looters. This strategy involves using plants as barriers around your home. Thorny shrubs like holly or roses beneath windows can make these entry points less appealing.
Tall, dense plants such as bamboo can form a visual barrier, obscuring sightlines into your property. Even using gravel around your home’s perimeter can create a noise alert system when walked on.
This method not only enhances your home’s security but also boosts its aesthetic appeal, creating a perfect blend of beauty and functionality. Learn more about such defensive strategies in my guide on How to Harden Your Home Against Intruders.
Know Thy Neighbors
Enlisting your neighbors can significantly enhance your collective security against potential looters. Establishing a neighborhood watch or mutual aid agreement can create a network of vigilant eyes and extra hands ready to respond in times of crisis.
Sharing information about suspicious activities and pooling resources for communal security measures, like cameras or lighting, can strengthen everyone’s defenses. However, it’s also crucial to understand your neighbors’ intentions and capabilities.
Trust is essential, but also knowing when it may be misplaced. For a more in-depth look at this topic, explore the guide on Signs Your Neighbor Could Become a Looter.
Strategize Your Lighting
Strategizing your lighting is a straightforward yet effective way to deter potential looters. Skillfully positioned motion sensor lights can startle intruders, making them believe they’ve been noticed.
Installing lights around your property’s perimeter, especially near entry points, can expose anyone trying to breach your defenses. Conversely, maintaining certain areas in low light can create strategic shadows to your advantage, allowing you to observe or move without being easily seen.
However, keep your main living areas out of easy view from the outside to avoid giving potential intruders information about your routines or valuables. Learn more about preparing for a power outage with the article on How To Set Up a Blackout Kit.
Related: This Is How You Will Survive The Next Big Blackout
Get Creative With Home Security
Channel your inner MacGyver when crafting your home security strategy. A few common household items can often be enough to protect your home. For example, you could use a fishing line or thread connected to a door handle as an improvised trip-wire alarm.
Or, if you’re planning on leaving for a while, place nails in the track of sliding windows and doors to make them difficult to open from outside. You can also hide valuables in obscure places, such as hollowed-out books or wall paintings.
As long as it’s not something a burglar would immediately think of, you should be safe. Read the article on How To Looter Proof Your Home for more ideas and inspiration.
Consider Non-Lethal Weapons
Considering non-lethal weapons is another crucial aspect of home defense. While firearms have their place, non-lethal alternatives can be just as effective for deterring intruders and helping avoid unnecessary violence.
These can range from pepper spray and stun guns to even high-powered airsoft guns. Remember, the objective is to defend, deter, and delay intruders, buying time until help arrives. Non-lethal weapons can incapacitate an intruder without causing permanent harm, making them a viable choice for many situations.
Want to discover the right non-lethal weapon for your needs? Check this out: The Most Powerful Non-Lethal Weapon Against Invading Rioters.
Keep A Flock Of Geese
Keeping a flock of geese may sound unconventional, but it’s an age-old practice for home security. Geese are naturally territorial and will raise a loud alarm at any unfamiliar presence, acting as a living, breathing early warning system.
Not to mention, they can be quite intimidating to intruders due to their aggressive nature when their territory is threatened. Besides their security benefits, geese also provide eggs and meat, making them a sustainable choice for self-sufficiency.
Interested in other bird species that can bolster your homestead’s defenses and resources? Check out the article on How To Raise Ducks for another feathered option.
The Final Stand
Safeguarding your home from potential looters involves a comprehensive, creative, and proactive approach. From understanding looter tactics to defensive landscaping and non-lethal weapons, every strategy contributes to a stronger, safer homestead. Embrace these methods to ensure your home remains a sanctuary, even in times of crisis.
But…remember! Prevention is much more effective than actually having to deal with a bad scenario. And it is knowledge that will save us in a crisis. As a result of that, I have to also recommend the Amish Ways Academy, a series of videos that teach you how the old Amish lived and thrived, how they adapted as years passed to be completely self-sufficient, and practically live off-grid without a care in the world. Looters will not be able to steal from you if they do not know where you are, right?
Eddie, the one responsible for the Amish Ways Academy, decided to offer access to the entire digital collection, plus 3 extra guides and a full textbook at a whooping 83% discount. See if the deal is still available here.
You may also like:
The Best 5 States for Living Off-Grid
Why You Should Never Put a Tall Fence Around Your Property (Video)
25 Things We Did as Kids That Would Get Someone Arrested Today
These Types of People Will Turn Into Looters as Soon as SHTF
alarms , Notifications, Lights, cameras (hidden) NOT INet based ,
Dogs , Noise , recorded messages
Think outside the social box of propaganda thinking
Be alert , Be Smart , Be Wise so you will know the difference between friend and foe , friendly and ca niving , cunning and sly
Get Ready , Plan your protection wisely and maybe your will survive
There is no fear in small numbers only in group numbers
you can defend one on one , if prepared , But not in mass
Learn to read people , circumstances, surroundings
So as a man or woman thinks so they are , no morals , no restraint , and if you accept every cult you will be taken over by it.
OPEN YOUR EYES so you can think, see, act clearly before its toooooooo Late
If anyone believes they will last more than a couple minutes in a fight with the gooberment, you are loco. However surviving after power grid failures, emp or societal breakdowns is entirely possible. Pick or join a very select group or be a lone wolf for a while. Then allow someone in who can help. Chivalry doesn’t have to be dead. Maybe suspended animation for a while but not dead. Like the fella said. Run some scenarios. Plan for the worst, hope for better.
Looters hit store and department stores, not houses. They loot houses if they think its vacant.
Just heard Richard Sherman’s house got hit today by looters while he and his family was home. Looters had guns….hope the looters get caught and thrown in jail. I hope all looters get caught and thrown in jail .
I have two stories that readers may find helpful in deciding home defense.
Signs: At one time I had a sign in our door that read “The owner of this property is armed, there is nothing inside worth risking your life for.” One day after just getting up I answered a knock at my door. The visitor was the brother of a friend of mine who had spent the night at my home. He stated he arrived a little late last night and upon seeing the sign, slept in his car because he was afraid to knock on the door. A caveat, a lot of the homes in our area were getting broke into. A neighbor showed up one day and told my parents (I was not home at the time) that he did not blame Jeff for putting that sign in the door. All the houses around were broken into except for yours. So, there is an example of a pro and con about posting certain signs.
Dog Story: I taught accredited self-defense classes at a local community college for many years. As was my practice, I spoke about crime prevention which included a point or two about dogs. After class one night a student approached me and explained a dog incident involving a would-be attacker that visited her apartment. She lived at the top of a flight of stairs. One night she heard footsteps coming up the steps. She opened the door and recognized a stranger making his way up the steps. She hollered down “You better go away; I have a dog up here and he will attack you.”
or words to that affect. The intruder undeterred, continued up the steps, she opened the door, and the dog descended upon the intruder. He jumped out a window and the dog jumped out after him, apparently tearing the guy up pretty bad. She explained that her home insurance covered most of it, but she still had some out-of-pocket expenses. Now, where many a folk might say good doggie, in PA where I reside, the dog went a little too far by jumping out the window after the intruder. If the dog had stopped before going out the window, she probably would have incurred no or little damages. The moral of the story being, depending on where you live, you may want to ensure Fido is trained on how far he/she can go within your property boundaries. I don’t make this stuff up. r/Jeff
I see that many of the regular readers have evidently left this blog. I’ve been “away” for awhile, thought I’d check back. When I stopped reading, one of the main reasons was that this blogs writers had begun to use it as one long ad to sell their books, etc. I see that that ha not only continued, but now, it appears that ALL of the posts writers are doing it. So, this will be my last forage into Ask a Prepper. Too bad, it USED to be useful