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December 29, 2021

Crooks watching for TV boxes put by the curb to know which houses to rob

By law, any and all holiday crime stories must be linked to Home Alone  and a requisite YouTube clip.

Stock-photo-18579229-burglarBut, wait! This one really compares!

Much like the Wet Bandits casing upscale Chicago neighbourhoods, real-life crooks are reportedly doing the same in the U.S., scoping out homes not for suitcases by the door but what’s waiting at the curb instead.

Your garbage, cops say, may just be an invitation for burglars to come on in these holidays.

According to a CBS affiliate out of Texas, garbage crews are already working overtime in the days after Christmas, of course, scooping and cramming tons of cardboard from boxes that once held TVs and stereo systems and iPhones and tablets.

*Bing: Find recycling depots near you

But one man’s trash truly becomes another’s treasure come holiday time, when thieves use unsuspecting residents’ garbage to gauge whether or not it’s worth breaking into their home.

“Unfortunately, we have story after story of people getting a new TV, putting the box out, and a few days later their house is broken into and their TV is gone,” a City of Fort Worth, Texas, official said.

Surely, you can take a drive around any neighbourhood in your town and see the boxes to plenty of holiday items sitting out on the curb. But what are people to do?

The best defence for garbage-seeking crooks is to fold up your boxes and take them to a recycling depot near you.

Click the above Bing link to find one closest to home.

By Jason Buckland, MSN Money

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Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

Jason BucklandJason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...