Mary Kehoe was just minding her own business in her New York City neighborhood until she saw something weird in a nearby lawn. She thought she saw an Android phone wrapped in black duct tape and partially buried into the ground with only the camera exposed. But that couldn’t be it, right?
After calling the police, she found out that it was exactly what she thought. In fact, the Android phone had a battery charger buried underneath it and was surveilling the neighborhood. The police have said this has become a method for burglars to monitor an area they wish to hit, and it’s becoming a popular method for thieves nationwide.
Would-be burglars are using these buried smartphones to record video or stream it to other devices to see the comings and goings of a neighborhood they wish to target. They can use the footage to assess the busier times of day to see when it’d be the best window to strike, determine if there is anything of value worth stealing in the neighborhood, along with other assessments. If Mary Kehoe hadn’t spotted the phone, she could have been a hidden camera burglar victim along with several others this has happened to in New York, California, Massachusetts, and other parts of the country.
“Put your alarms on, put lights on, and be aware,” Kehoe warned on KTVZ News. “And we’re a nice little block here that we look out for one another, so when people do go away, they let us know so we can take a walk down their driveway and make sure everything is safe.”
This is just the latest way burglars use smart phone technology to gain information about a potential target. One of the more common ways that burglars find targets is to look at social media posts to see who is actively posting while on vacation. Knowing that their target won’t be home, they could do research to see if they can find their address and break-in. This isn’t just vacation posts, but also social media posts about moving into a new home, geotagging, or even just bragging about your new car that’s parked on the public street can let thieves know that you’re providing opportunities for them.
@cathypedrayes Reply to @alec_acorn good question! #learnontiktok #tips #tiktokpartner #safety #lifehack
Burglars that use images or video footage from their smart phone, like in the situation with Mary Kehoe, can see what items are in your home and look up their value online. They might even use eBay to not only see how much your stuff is worth, but could use eBay to sell it off, too.
As Mary pointed out, be sure to keep your security cameras and motion lights on along with keeping your doors and windows locked when you’re out. While this may not stop would-be burglars from surveillance, it helps further discourage them from choosing your home as a target and could protect you from being victimized.
@jenjengomez2.0 From an ex-burglar, here’s what YOU can do to protect your home! #home #homesecurity #burglar #burglary #burglaryprevention #prison #prisontiktok #officer
Smart phones are useful tools, which can be used for good or for ill. It’s important to keep your eyes open like Mary for anything odd in your area along with being mindful of what you share online with your phone. Everything great about that technology has the potential to be used against you, too.