![Why Mainers are Vulnerable to Warm-Up Theft and How to Avoid It](http://townsquare.media/site/494/files/2022/01/attachment-pjimage-771.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Why Mainers are Vulnerable to Warm-Up Theft and How to Avoid It
It's something most of us do every day, without thinking about how it leaves us open to a very expensive form of theft.
Okay, people don't do it every day. Mostly, people only do it in the winter, when the weather gets colder and they want a warm vehicle for their commute. So they run outside and start the vehicle, turn up the heater/defroster, and then run back inside to fill the travel mug or make a quick stop in the bathroom before heading to work. Everyone does it, even in parking lots outside their work before making the trip home.
![WBZN Old Town Maine logo](https://townsquare.media/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/WBZNFM.png?w=100)
But AAA New England cautions that automobile thieves will look for that white exhaust smoke as a signal that a vehicle is ripe for the picking. It only takes a few seconds for them to jump behind the wheel, throw the vehicle in gear, and take off. And then your day has gone from a warm trip in the car to a long day on the phone with the police and your insurance company. They call it 'warm-up theft.'
How Mainers can Avoid Warm-up Theft
15 Ways to Avoid Falling Victim to Crimes of Opportunity
12 Signs That You Could Be a Victim of Identity Theft
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