New US threat to US homeowners whose properties are listed online

Burglars used to hang out in neighborhoods and scan death notices to determine who to target. Now, with free services readily available online, they can plan potential robberies from their computers or phones.

While hard data on burglars’ methods is difficult to come by, the Riverside Police Department in California has seen a number of criminals use these online methods after being arrested for a possible burglary, or after successfully executing a burglary.

The revelation comes after roaming international criminal gangs have targeted communities in California, Michigan and Arizona, according to Fox News Digital reporting earlier this year.

“Our detectives are seizing digital devices and things like that (after arresting suspects) and we’re trying to get search warrants to get into those devices,” Public Information Officer Ryan Railback told Fox News Digital. “That’s where you’ll find internet history. Our detectives have gone into their Google Maps and they’ve found that they were searching certain addresses, they were on Zillow or Redfin.”

Google is showcasing high-definition aerial imagery covering 92 million square kilometers (36 million square miles) of roads worldwide via Google Earth and Google Street View imagery covering 16 million kilometers (10 million miles) of roads worldwide. The company told CNET it has mapped the streets in 98 percent of the places where people live.

PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY: HOW TO REMOVE YOUR HOME PHOTOS FROM ZILLOW, REDFIN, AND REALTOR.COM

Ring videos show burglars sneaking into a victim’s backyard at night with flashlights.

Meanwhile, Zillow, one of the country’s most popular real estate websites, reported that there were about 130 million listings in the U.S. as of July 2024. Sites like Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com often show detailed interior photos of homes, and in some cases, they remain on the site even after the home has sold.

“Right now, you’re figuratively going to explore by going on these platforms with a cup of coffee in the comfort of your chair, and you’re getting more relevant data and intel than you ever did with (binoculars) and a vehicle outside your house,” former NYPD detective and security expert Pat Brosnan told Fox News Digital. “You’re really getting to see inside baseball.”

According to Brosnan, potential sellers can protect themselves by limiting what they include in their online property profiles.

“When you’re selling your home, you want to put your best foot forward,” he said. “The balance is to submit accurate, compelling, professionally shot photos, but you don’t have to provide a ton of them. And I would always advise against doing a 360 video, which is very common in sales.”

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Sue Ellen Gutierrez Saez, 20, Johan Salvo Alacon, 21, and Manuel Eduardo Fuentes Gomez, 25, were arrested in Phoenix on suspicion of committing an estimated 111 home burglaries as members of a South American criminal gang. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)

According to Brosnan, these types of videos can be paused and enhanced, allowing criminals to “learn every nook and cranny of the home, including windows, cameras and locking systems.”

“You can identify alarm systems and ways to bypass them,” he said. “You can identify secondary and third points of entry and exit.”

Sharon Polsky, chair of the Privacy & Access Council of Canada, said Google Maps imagery is also a useful tool for would-be car thieves.

“Car thieves can get a good idea of ​​the type and number of vehicles at an address. A house with children’s toys strewn across the yard might be an unlikely place to get a luxury sports car; but a house with flags as window coverings is more likely to have an older vehicle — with a lower value and therefore fewer criminal charges,” she told Fox News Digital.

“Anyone who steals cars to order can use Google Maps to see if a vehicle on their shopping list is sitting in their driveway. They can use that information to make sure they bring the proper software to program the blank keys needed to steal the vehicles,” Polsky said.

Brosnan advises that when posting photos on real estate agent websites, avoid posting photos of your security cameras, locks, security systems, gates, windows and doors as much as possible.

Members of a Chilean criminal gang are pictured breaking into an upscale home in Oakland County, Michigan. (WJBK)

He also advised against showing photos of the house at night showing where any motion-activated spotlights are located.

Former FBI agent and cybersecurity expert Bill Daly advised home sellers to make sure valuable furniture or artwork is put away before taking photos for a website listing.

Polsky said that when working with real estate agents, potential home sellers should “put it in the contract that the house number cannot be included in the listing or in photos.

“That just makes it less convenient for potential tenants/buyers who have to contact the agent to get the address (giving the agent the opportunity to talk to each person and build up their own contact list). And more importantly, not revealing the house number makes it a lot less convenient for thieves.”

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Photos on real estate websites can show entrances and exits, camera locations, and other elements that can help criminals devise a plan to break into your home. (Fox News)

Railsback advised homeowners to place prominent security cameras and alarm system signage outside their homes and to reach out to their neighbors.

“If a criminal wants to break into my home, despite all the security measures I have in place, I want him to at least think about the risk he is taking,” Railsback said.

Brosnan also suggested having your home blurred out on Google Maps Streetview. You can do this by searching for your home on the service and clicking on “Report a problem.” You’ll then be given a short form to fill out.

A Google spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it typically takes their team a week to blur an address after a request, and that once an address is blurred, the change is irreversible. The spokesperson noted that the company uses AI technology to blur license plate numbers and faces in Street View images.

A Zillow representative also told Fox News Digital that their service makes it “quick and easy” to take ownership of home listings. The option can be accessed by finding your property on the site and clicking “More Options,” which reveals the “Claim Ownership” feature. After proving ownership of the property in question, homeowners can remove photos or the entire listing.

“We take privacy and security very seriously,” the spokesperson said. “The photos on Zillow come from sources like the multiple listing service that real estate agents use to list homes for sale. We always encourage homeowners to claim their home on Zillow so they can change or remove photos and edit their home details.”

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Single-family homes in a residential area in Aldie, Virginia, on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Redfin, Realtor.com and Google could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press.

According to Brosnan, it’s also important to limit what you post online about your own whereabouts.

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“Unless your social media is very private and your followers are people you know personally and trust, don’t post about your vacation on social media,” he said. “If I see someone on social media and they’re on vacation somewhere in Mexico, where are they not?

“You have to look at your settings every now and then – these platforms update their settings,” he continued. “Update your settings, keep them up to date, and ask your close friends or neighbors to drive by your house or give them access to your cameras when you’re away. Don’t advertise when you’re not home.”

People who want to put their holiday photos online should wait until they get home before posting them, he said.