Camouflaged Cameras Used To Stake Out Homes

When it comes to protecting your home from burglars, it's no longer just the mysterious car slowly cruising through your neighborhood you need to worry about. Savvy thieves are using hidden cameras to monitor your home and find the perfect time to strike.

Small, rechargeable, often motion-activated cameras are being hidden in hedges, trees, lawns, and even potted plants. One homeowner even found a tiny camera hidden in a decorative swag on her mailbox.

Homeowners have stumbled across these well-concealed devices while watering their plants, stooping to clean up after their dogs, mowing their lawns, or simply catching a reflection from the lens when a car goes by or the sun hits it at just the right angle.

"Typically, residential burglars will use these devices to see when residents are leaving for work, coming home from work, when you leave to pick up children from school, and when you come back. It gives them timeframes of when they may target your home," says Lt. John Bonomo of the Arcadia, California, Police Department.

Part of a Bigger Plan

Some law enforcement experts believe this sort of targeting is part of a larger crime ring. Thieves from South America, in particular, and other countries that qualify for visa waivers of up to 90 days are entering the U.S. under the guise of tourism and stealing from homes in wealthier neighborhoods. They have dubbed it "Tourism Burglary."

Within the last year, police in Baltimore and Raleigh have arrested Chilean nationals in the US on visa waivers for burglaries of luxury homes in their areas. However, neighborhoods with lots of trees, shrubs, walls, and not as well lit make for prime targeting, regardless of the supposed "wealth" of the residents.

How To Protect Your Property

Experts say you should "fight fire with fire" and set up your own security cameras, particularly those with motion detection that will notify you immediately if someone is on your property. Cameras connected directly to a cable and not reliant on Wi-Fi are best (thieves have Wi-Fi jammers that can keep your security company from being notified).

If you find a camera on your property or pointed at your door/driveway, contact the police immediately. One family in Boston did just that, then faked a vacation so the police could watch the property and catch the would-be thieves.

You should also notify your neighbors if you find a device, as others will likely show up in the area. If thieves can plan to hit more than one home in a day or night, they will.

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Sources: NBC News, NewsNation, CNN