A homeowner is viral online after explaining to viewers why she thinks her house is being cased.
TikTok user Shelby (@shelbysurfer) said in a September video that she and a roommate (another woman) live in a gated community within Houston, Texas. Shelby said she’s rented this home for years and always felt safe. That is until a neighbor hired painters for a home renovation.
Not only did Shelby say that the painters were “disrespectful,” but a series of events over the course of three weeks led her to believe that her house “is being cased.” As of Saturday, her video had amassed more than 751,600 views.
Why does Shelby think her house is being cased?
In her video, Shelby asserted that her townhome is “so safe… that I always have my packages delivered to my front door.” She said she didn’t start experiencing issues until a neighbor hired painters.
For one, she said, they would repeatedly park outside of her home. Then she said she started noticing that her home’s back gate was left open.
“Every time we get home, [the painters are] gone, so we can’t ask them anything,” Shelby said. At one point, she said she caught some of the painters in her backyard without permission. Their excuse was that “we had to go into your backyard to remove the scaffolding.”
“We have confirmed that they’ve been in our backyard multiple times,” she said. And to make matters worse, Shelby said, the painters are able to look into her house where they can see her expensive vintage furniture and dog.
“We’ll be eating lunch and will look over and the guy is just staring at us,” Shelby said.
Over the course of several weeks, Shelby said that one of the painters stole a package from her front door (which she saw from a neighbor’s security camera). But the weirdest occurrence, she said, happened when a strange man came to her front door and made up a “sketchy” story about how he knew who lived there. Shelby said that, after leaving, the stranger walked ten feet to the side of her house, looked around it and then left.
“I personally think that he was trying to see if our cameras actually worked,” Shelby said. “It’s really strange. I feel very uncomfortable.”
Content creator strives to protect her home
Shelby said that she and her roommate are the only two people who live in the home. As a result, she said she felt increasingly uncomfortable that the painters—or someone they knew—were attempting to rob her.
To feel more safe, Shelby said that she texted her homeowner’s association to ask whether they could change the passcode needed to enter the gated community. She also said she and her roommate installed their own security cameras and bought “smile you’re on camera” signs.
In addition, Shelby said she told one of her neighbors about the men, but still felt uncomfortable and has had nightmares about break-ins. The content creator said she alerted the neighbor whose home is undergoing renovations to the issue as well.
“Two random men in two weeks coming to my house and they have the passcode? That’s not random,” Shelby said. “And we’re two girls living alone.”
In addition to the aforementioned safety precautions, Shelby said that she and her roommate bought a padlock for their back gate.
“I’m 1000% positive someone was trying to case the house,” Shelby said. But still, she said she didn’t feel totally safe. In the end, she encouraged tips from viewers on what else she could do to keep her home safe.
Are burglars are targeting your home?
Some cities and areas are more susceptible to burglaries. According to Prestige Security Solutions, larger cities like Boston have higher burglary statistics. Homes that offer easy access and escape routes are particularly vulnerable.
Houses without home security systems are prime targets, too. In fact, according to the site, 60% of criminals admit to changing targets if they see a security system in place.
As for casing, some of the most common signs are unusual vehicles, foot traffic, door-to-door surveys, light tampering, and marking.
To help safeguard homes, the site recommended upgrading your place’s security systems, strengthening your home’s entry points, and changing up your daily routine to throw them off.
Viewers offer additional advice
In the comments section of Shelby’s video, several viewers offered extra security tips.
“Make sure EVERY neighbor knows,” one woman wrote. “Doesn’t matter if they are down the street. Neighbors are the number one crime deterrent.”
“Go over and ask the painters for a business card,” another advised. “It’ll scare them off trying because they know you’ve been close enough to see their faces, and you’ll be able to give the card to police just in case.”
“Get a lock for your back gate, put a sign up saying you’re on camera,” wrote a third user. “Get cams front and back.”
“Go to the thrift store & get a few different pairs of men’s shoes, leave them outside your front door & switch them out often,” a fourth user wrote.
To this comment, Shelby responded, “So smart!!!!! I’ll take a pair of my dad’s old ones.”
@shelbysurfer I think i hate this little life 🚨 thank you all so much 🙏🏻 please watch video all the way through, and the latest update videos before commenting 💕 #grwm #houston #crimetok #womensafety #wwyd #whatwouldyoudo #storytime ♬ original sound – shelbysurfer
The Daily Dot has reached out to Shelby via TikTok comment.
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