Victoria’s crime rate is on the rise. Find out the steps you can take to protect your home and car against theft, along with tips for small business owners facing an increase in retail theft.
Security
Catalytic converters (car exhaust systems)
Pets
Tyres, wheels, steering wheels and airbags
Copper wiring
Vegetables from community gardens and household patches
Eight unusual items thieves want to steal from you
What do copper wires, dogs and car exhausts have in common? They're all unusual items in hot demand with thieves, according to Neighbourhood Watch.
While phones, computers, cash, jewellery and bikes are the usual targets for theft, there are less obvious things that thieves want too.
Here are eight unusual things being stolen across Victoria right now, plus simple steps you can take to help keep your home and possessions safe.
Unusual and strange things that get stolen
Vehicle number plates
"Number plates are the number one item stolen from cars," reports Neighbourhood Watch CEO Bambi Gordon. The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) reported 31,980 number plate thefts across Victoria in the year ending June 2025: an increase of more than 50 per cent compared to last year.
Number plate theft can include physical removal from your car or virtual cloning from online photos of your car, in which the number plates are displayed.
"They can be used to 'cloak' stolen cars used in a number of minor through to serious crimes," Gordon explains.
Installing anti-theft screws, parking your car in a locked garage, and blurring your number plates in any images of your car will all help to dissuade number plate theft.
More: Burglary, car theft and retail crime rises across Victoria
Catalytic converters (car exhaust systems)
"Another unusual target for thieves is the exhaust systems of relatively modern cars," Gordon says.
These exhausts contain catalytic converters: exhaust emission control devices that control noise, filter dangerous pollutants, and help determine how much fuel needs injecting into the engine. Catalytic converters are made from precious metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium, all of which can be worth more than gold.
"Thieves are stealing the exhaust from cars parked in driveways, streets, and commuter car parks," Gordon says. Train stations and shopping centre car parks are also top targets.
Thieves crawl underneath cars or use a car jack to access the car's underside, then saw off the catalytic converter using power tools to carry it away and sell to unscrupulous wrecking yards.
If you're wondering whether your car is at risk, any petrol-powered car sold in Australia since 1986 is required to have a catalytic converter fitted. The catalytic converters on older models typically contain a higher amount of precious metals, while catalytic converters on hybrid cars are generally in better condition because they don't have to work as hard at filtering pollutants. Pre-2011 Toyota Prius cars are particularly targeted by 'cat' thieves because their catalytic converters are easy to access.
If your catalytic converter is stolen, your car will start but will be very loud. It will also drive roughly. It's illegal to drive a car without a catalytic converter (if it's designed to have one). You will need to contact your car insurance provider to discuss if you're covered and get your car towed to a repairer.
Older catalytic converters typically contain more valuable metals, making them prime targets for theft. Image: Getty
Pets
Pet theft, especially dog theft, rose dramatically in step with the Victorian lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 as pet ownership rates soared. In the year to June 2025, the CSA reports that 289 pets were stolen: an almost 13 per cent increase on the previous year.
To keep your own pets safe from theft, you can ensure they are microchipped, use a smart GPS tracker, and avoid leaving your dog tied up alone in public places.
"Theft of pets is not new, but what has changed is that the theft is no longer reserved for expensive and 'trendy' dog breeds that can be sold on," says Gordon. "The theft can also be an outcome of family estrangement."
Keep your pet safe: microchip them, use a GPS tracker, and never leave them unattended in public.
Tyres, wheels, steering wheels and airbags
Car tyres are another popular target for thieves, with luxury car tyres, high-performance tyres and tyres with expensive rims all topping the list. EV tyres generally cost more than regular tyres and may also be vulnerable.
Steering wheels and even airbags are also commonly taken along with the wheels. Together, these theft targets make up a significant portion of the 38,550 car accessories stolen across Victoria in the year ending June 2025.
"Thieves will also steal what would seem to be innocuous items that we wouldn't think would be worth the effort or the risk – such as loose change, or a pair of sunglasses," Gordon adds.
These kinds of theft are legally termed 'theft from motor vehicles'. To help prevent car theft, make sure you remove any valuables, lock up your car and park in a locked garage or well-lit, CCTV-covered area.
Car tyres can be removed in a matter of minutes. Image: Getty
Copper wiring
There has been a surge in copper cable theft across Victoria, with the metal attracting a lucrative market price. Thieves have been spotted entering construction sites, ground pits and railway stations to strip out the copper wire to sell at dodgy scrap yards and websites.
Copper delivers electricity to homes, public lighting and traffic lights, so this kind of theft can have dire impacts on the local community. It can deprive homes of power, leave dangerous exposed cables in the area, and cause vehicle crashes as streetlights and traffic lights go out. Copper wire theft can also compound delays in new home construction.
If you witness copper cable theft, call Triple Zero (000) to report the incident. You can also anonymously make a report about a past incident or suspicious activity to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
If you encounter exposed copper wiring, do not touch it: you could risk being electrocuted. Instead, immediately contact a power distributor.
Copper wire can sell for $5 to $8 a kilo at scrap yards. Image: Getty
Vegetables from community gardens and household patches
The rising costs of fruit and vegetables from the local grocer or supermarket have seen a spike in theft of veggies from community gardens and household vegetable patches, according to Neighbourhood Watch.
To deter theft from your vegetable patch, pick crops as soon as they ripen. You can also consider dusting growing crops with flour to make them look unappealing to potential thieves.
Signage featuring slogans like 'Private produce - no harvesting' or images depicting 'No picking' may also help to deter people who think your veggie patch is public property.
Local groups or volunteers who run community gardens may consider installing security cameras, but they must follow strict rules to avoid breaching privacy laws. Key requirements include ensuring cameras are not pointed at private areas such as neighbouring homes, placing clear signage to alert people they are being recorded, and consulting with Victoria Police to develop the system as part of a broader community safety strategy.
Fruit and vegetable theft is occuring in community gardens. Image: Getty
Labubus
Labubu is a popular collectible plush doll that has recently become a global fashion trend. Collectors obtain them from blind-box collectibles, making certain labubus rare and expensive.
"Labubus are the next big thing to be stolen," Gordon reveals. "(Thieves) snip them off backpacks and handbags."
In October 2025, a man was arrested in Melbourne after a search warrant allegedly located 43 Labubu dolls worth approximately $9,000 in total. Victoria Police allege the dolls were stolen during a spate of burglaries at a Melbourne CBD shopping centre.
For those caught up in the Labubu craze, buying an acrylic case with an anti-theft buckle might help protect the doll from theft.
Bricks and other building supplies
Pallet loads of bricks, timber and other building supplies are being stolen from unattended private and commercial building sites, particularly new housing estates. CSA data reveals that 6,206 building materials were stolen in the year ending June 2025: a significant increase of 27 per cent on the previous year.
Power tools are also being taken from sites due to their high value and easy portability. With 18,640 power tools stolen across Victoria in the year ending June 2025, they are one of the state's top stolen items.
CCTV cameras, security patrols and installing tracking devices on high-value items can help deter and catch construction site thieves.
Bricks, timber, and building supplies are in high demand, and thieves know it. Image: Getty
How to protect your home, contents and cars
There are two main ways you can protect your possessions from theft: staying vigilant, and installing security systems. You can see how well your home is protected and find out ways to improve your home’s security with the RACV and Neighbourhood Watch initiative How Safe Is My Place.
Theft prevention often involves not keeping your valuables in plain sight and making sure you lock up properly at night or when you go out. For your home, security cameras and home alarm systems are major theft deterrents. If you have a bike, learn how to protect it from theft here.
Car security on older cars is particularly poor making them a more attractive target for thieves, so think about aftermarket security systems like steering wheel locks or anti-theft screws to your number plates.
Ensure you also have adequate motor insurance and home contents insurance coverage in place to safeguard against financial loss in the event of theft, and regularly review your coverage to avoid being underinsured.
Guides to help protect your property from theft
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