Burglary through letterbox

ronbyrne2005

Neighbour in Dublin 9 was robbed in early evening a few nights ago and thieves got 10k in jewellry and other stuff. The thieves opened the door handle on inside of upvc door by using a long stick (shaped to pull down the handle). Many people just close these doors during the day/evening and although they can't be opened using outside handle they are easily opened if main lock isnt locked with the key. I have been guilty of doing this myself sometimes when rushing and never thought someone would be able to open the handle from outside using a skinny arm or a stick/tool. Just make sure you lock your door if they are this type of door.

BogWog

You can make all sorts of contraptions for releasing latches, pulling levers and turning knobs with some copper wire thats the right thickness. They're popular for opening hotel doors that have space under them to slip the wire through.

trout

I've heard of some enterprising burglars using fishing rods through a letterbox, to pick up bunches of keys from hall tables, to steal cars or open front doors.

Don't have any links, and it could be urban legends ... but it does seem plausible.

seanybiker

heard about the keys been robed a few times alright.

trout

Did the Mythbusters do something on a device to shimmy hotel doors ?

Or am I thinking of Prison Break ?

Something that was on in the last few months anyway ... I'll try to remember

Dancor

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

Neighbour in Dublin 9 was robbed in early evening a few nights ago and thieves got 10k in jewellry and other stuff.

10k in valuables but no alarm :rolleyes:

TriciaDelicia

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

Neighbour in Dublin 9 was robbed in early evening a few nights ago and thieves got 10k in jewellry and other stuff. The thieves opened the door handle on inside of upvc door by using a long stick (shaped to pull down the handle). Many people just close these doors during the day/evening and although they can't be opened using outside handle they are easily opened if main lock isnt locked with the key. I have been guilty of doing this myself sometimes when rushing and never thought someone would be able to open the handle from outside using a skinny arm or a stick/tool. Just make sure you lock your door if they are this type of door.

:(My parents live in D9 and apparently alot of houses are getting burglarised around the area recently.

helimachoptor

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

Neighbour in Dublin 9 was robbed in early evening a few nights ago and thieves got 10k in jewellry and other stuff. The thieves opened the door handle on inside of upvc door by using a long stick (shaped to pull down the handle). Many people just close these doors during the day/evening and although they can't be opened using outside handle they are easily opened if main lock isnt locked with the key. I have been guilty of doing this myself sometimes when rushing and never thought someone would be able to open the handle from outside using a skinny arm or a stick/tool. Just make sure you lock your door if they are this type of door.

I'm not a thief but when my whole family was on a 3 week holiday, I locked myself out (while sober) I used a wheel nut thing to reach in through the letterbox and open the door, I now actually use the key to lock the door!

Degsy

The fishing rod thingy is no myth,it has happened.Dont leave keys visible in the hall!

arybvtcw0eolkf

A Pitbull, a Stafffordshire Bull Terrier, a 6'3'' 19st Judo fighter and his 6'0'' 16st Judoka son.

All of who can make the gate and over it in a nano-second makes my home pretty damned secure :P

LillyVanilli

I managed to get locked out of my house before and got the keys out through the letterbox with a fishing hook and a stick. Easily done. Dont leave keys on your hall table.

TriciaDelicia

Mairt wrote: »

A Pitbull, a Stafffordshire Bull Terrier, a 6'3'' 19st Judo fighter and his 6'0'' 16st Judoka son.

All of who can make the gate and over it in a nano-second makes my home pretty damned secure :P

But what about when you and your superhuman son aren't home, the dogs are out the back and the little junky fook wriggles his way in and steals all your worldly possessions:eek:

Pat Mustard

Ruby2Shoes wrote: »

I managed to get locked out of my house before and got the keys out through the letterbox with a fishing hook and a stick. Easily done. Dont leave keys on your hall table.

Yes, my dad did that trick with a length of wavin pipe and some copper wire, when we were kids and he locked the whole family out of the house. Was seriously impressed. Respect!

arybvtcw0eolkf

TriciaDelicia wrote: »

But what about when you and your superhuman son aren't home, the dogs are out the back and the little junky fook wriggles his way in and steals all your worldly possessions:eek:

My dogs are rarely, if ever out the back.

My home & possessions is very secure.

drunk_monk

Degsy wrote: »

The fishing rod thingy is no myth,it has happened.Dont leave keys visible in the hall!

This is happening all the time in the UK so think it's safe to say it's happening here as well

http://www.towncriertoday.co.uk/news/Thieves-steal-Audi-A4-car.4441799.jp

TriciaDelicia

Mairt wrote: »

My dogs are rarely, if ever out the back.

My home & possessions is very secure.

I'm only saying tis because our neigbours had a pitbull, the man of the house is a monster and his son too, they got home one night and there was a scumbag wandering around out of his head on drugs with his pockets stuffed full with their possessions.:mad:
Said scumbag got the crap beat out of him;)
But I'm sure your household is highly secure:o

arybvtcw0eolkf

TriciaDelicia wrote: »

I'm only saying tis because our neigbours had a pitbull, the man of the house is a monster and his son too, they got home one night and there was a scumbag wandering around out of his head on drugs with his pockets stuffed full with their possessions.:mad:
Said scumbag got the crap beat out of him;)
But I'm sure your household is highly secure:o

I'd almost invite a scumbag into my home just so I could beat him to a pulp, after my dogs played tug-o-war with him/them.

Nevyn

There is a lot to be said for old fashioned rounded door handles/knobs on the locks on your doors and in having more then 1 lock.

CrazyRabbit

I'd be more worried about lock bumping...something I tried myself and it does work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr23tpWX8lM

BogWog

trout wrote: »

Did the Mythbusters do something on a device to shimmy hotel doors ?

Or am I thinking of Prison Break ?

Something that was on in the last few months anyway ... I'll try to remember

I was thinking about becoming a locksmith a couple of years ago so I read a whole college locksmith course (the distance learning material) so I learned a couple of things about this kinda ****. Modern hotel doors are all shim proof. To shim open a latch you need a bit of space to get the shim in so the obvious defense mechanism is to but a barrier so you can't slip anything in. You see people use credit cards in films but even if the door didn't have that barrier modern latches and anti shim mechanisms.

That being said though there are advanced locksmith shims that can slip in and bypass the anti shim latch. Its this flexible semi hard plastic **** called mica or something.

A lot of hotels never comprehended the threat of under the door tools though. Its so simple yet so clever. Slip some copper wire under the door and pull the door handle with it.


Here it is in action
http://mustardhamsters.com/?p=58

BogWog

helimachoptor wrote: »

I'm not a thief but when my whole family was on a 3 week holiday, I locked myself out (while sober) I used a wheel nut thing to reach in through the letterbox and open the door, I now actually use the key to lock the door!

Fair play to you. I've been locked out a few times but I could never find anything I could use to reach the latch.

BogWog

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

I'd be more worried about lock bumping...something I tried myself and it does work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr23tpWX8lM

Did you make your own? They're not easy to make. I robber would need a big collection of them because the bump key has to fit the lock. Then again he could just out what the most popular locks are and make bump keys for them.

Theres a trick to prevent bump keys you replace the top pins with special anti bump pins or something like that.

The greatest weapon in the robbers arsenal is still the brick. A brick through the windows alot simpler and quicker than messing around with locks and letterboxes.

dsane1

Can anyone tell me if you leave a key in a patio door can the lock still be bumped ? Is it safer to leave the key in or out ? Dog and alarm and mother in law on patrol lol .