AMI has issued a caution to the public as the festive period, known for a surge in theft claims, approaches.
Data reveals that nearly one-fifth of all theft insurance claims in New Zealand are filed during December and January, with the latter noted as the peak month for such claims.
Paula ter Brake, AMI’s executive general manager consumer brands, explained that a spike in theft claims during the summer is typical, as it is a popular time for thieves because of people going away on their holidays.
An analysis of the items most frequently stolen during the festive season shows a preference for smaller, easily portable items. Clothes, tools, and phones top the list, followed by sporting equipment, bikes, and electronics.
“From what we can tell from the claims data, it looks like small, portable items are often taken,” ter Brake said in a news release. “You might think that your shoes or bags aren’t going to be targets, but unfortunately, they are.”
Makeup and toiletries also appear unexpectedly high on the list of stolen items, with over 2,200 claims filed for these categories in the past five years.
During the festive season, the risk also extends to Christmas gifts as well, with three-quarters of all gift-related theft claims involving items taken from cars. There are also reports of thefts directly from beneath Christmas trees. In contrast, parcel thefts do not show a significant increase during December, despite the higher volume of deliveries.
“It’s hard to say from insurance data if parcel thefts increase in December as not all parcel thefts will result in an insurance claim,” ter Brake said. “However, we do have several claims for parcels that were taken while a house was being burgled, and a few instances where parcels were taken from the whole street.”
AMI advises the public to take precautions against theft during the festive season, such as securing belongings and remaining vigilant. In the event of a theft, AMI’s claims team is available throughout the holiday season for assistance.
The festive period, spanning the last two months of the year, has consistently seen high theft rates over the past five years. Auckland leads in regional theft statistics, followed by Canterbury, Waikato, Wellington, and the Bay of Plenty. Similar trends are observed in motor vehicle thefts, with Auckland again registering the highest incidence.
Top regions for festive season thefts
Top regions for motor vehicle thefts
In other claims-related news, recent data from Kiwi general insurance provider State indicates that over 30% of content claims on Christmas Day are attributed to incidents that occur during meal preparation.
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