How Burglars Turn Stolen Goods Into Cash
Do you have laptops, jewelry, cash, small electronics, firearms or prescription medicine in your home? Burglars will steal just about anything if they believe it can be easily resold for cash — and these are some of their favorite items.
A typical burglar will work fast, scooping up as many items as possible during a short romp — on average about 8 to 12 minutes — around your home or business. And in recent years, big-screen TVs and other large items are being left behind in favor of small electronics and other easily portable goods.
So How Do Burglars Turn Your Valuable Items into Cash?
Pawn Shops
The pawn shop is often the first stop a burglar makes after a successful heist. “But don’t they require an ID?” you might be asking. Yes, some pawn shops ask for IDs to prevent stolen items from entering their inventory, but others will accept them with no questions asked. It’s also pretty easy for a burglar to obtain a fake ID.
Savvy burglars will travel to pawn shops located in a different part of the city or state to unload their goods, hoping it will reduce the chances of the homeowner identifying their stolen items and getting caught.
Fencing Operations or Middlemen
Some burglars have relationships with fencing operations or middlemen who will buy the stolen goods. Fencing operations will “request” specific items for burglars to steal, knowing they can quickly sell them.
Middlemen buy the stolen goods and then turn around and sell them somewhere else. Your stolen items can be hard to track down, which is why burglars like to use these 3rd-party resources.
Online Auction Sites
Another popular tactic used by burglars to sell their stolen goods is putting them up for auction on sites like eBay. Because eBay is a global marketplace, it’s often difficult to connect a listing to any particular region, let alone a burglary incident. The burglar can simply create an account, put the stolen item up for auction or for immediate sale, and wait for the bids to roll in. It’s a quick and easy way for burglars to resell their stolen goods.
Local Online Classified Ads
A fourth technique used by burglars to turn stolen goods into cash is to sell them on local classified ads like Craigslist. No one has to provide an ID and the exchange can be at a public place, so the buyer has no idea where the “seller” lives.
Drug Dealers
A good chunk of the burglars out there steal simply to support their drug habit. They will trade items for drugs, and then the dealers sell or move the items out via their organized crime network.
What Victims Can Do
If you’re ever the victim of a home burglary, there are a few steps you can take to increase the chances of recovering your property. The first step is to create a comprehensive inventory of your valuables.
- Keep receipts, and write down serial numbers and describe any unusual markings.
- Photographs can prove useful, especially if they show a unique identifier such as a serial number or carved initials. You can even use your smartphone or video camera to video valuables and describe each item as you go.
- Provide the police with a complete list of the items stolen.
- Try looking up your items on Stolen911, a site set up to help victims find their items on Craigslist. If you find one, get help from the police in recovering it — never try to accuse the seller on your own, as many criminals won’t hesitate to resort to violence to stay out of jail.
- Search eBay to see if you can identify your items, and if so, print the listing and share it with the police
- Visit local pawn shops. If you see one of your items you know you can verify, ask the shop owner to hold it for you. Leave and then contact the police for help recovering it.
Prevention Is the Best Bet
Recovering from a burglary incurs financial loss — and victims often suffer from anxiety and stress for weeks or months afterwards. Your best approach is to do what you can to reduce you and your family’s chances of becoming victims.
Already been a victim? It’s not uncommon for burglars to return to the same home a few months later, knowing you would have replaced your stolen items with brand new ones.
We can help! We will work with you every step of the way to design and install a security system that fits your security needs and your budget. Call us at 281-506-8466 or visit us online today!
Image attribution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/infomofo/
