There are almost 2.5 million car break-ins every year — an average of 281 every hour of every day. Your car stereo is an investment — protect it with adequate insurance coverage and a good car alarm system.

You've just left the big concert at the coliseum and you're headed to your car. As you walk onto the parking lot, you scan the rows of cars for your vehicle before spotting it across the way. You notice bits of glass glistening on the pavement near your car and you get that sinking feeling that something isn't right.

As you get closer, your fears are realized; the driver's side window is smashed. You peer into the car to see bare wires protruding from the dash where your receiver used to be. Your cell phone is missing and so is a case containing 50 of your favorite CDs. Your pair of 12-inch subwoofers and their enclosure are gone. You've been ripped off. Some low-life has trashed your car and taken the killer sound system you enjoyed so much.

No one wants to get ripped off, but it happens every day across the country. Is there anything you can do to prevent it?