I think that this article, and many of the comments, show a misunderstanding of what robbing houses is really all about. Not that I've done it, but it seems pre

I think that this article, and many of the comments, show a misunderstanding of what robbing houses is really all about. Not that I've done it, but it seems pretty obvious when you think about it from the robber's perspective. Anything to do with locks is not really relevant to robbery, since virtually none of the houses in the world have good enough security to resist anyone even moderately determined and willing to break things. Why bother with some elaborate charade to copy keys when a crowbar, or usually a boot, will get you into any house? What is actually relevant is information about the house and what's in it. First, information about whether there is anything stealable in there - stuff that's easy to transport out and can be sold in a grey market for a good price without being easy to track back to the thief. Most houses don't have a lot of stuff like this, and there's probably a pretty stiff haircut on the price you can get when moving stolen goods through fences. I'm guessing that you'd want trustworthy information that there's stuff you can take and move for at least $1,000 or so to make it worth your risk to break into a specific house. You'd also want solid information about who can be expected to be at the house, and when. Any chance at a confrontation is going to add a lot of risk. Threats like the valet copying your keys don't really make any sense. Yeah, he has the keys, and information that could lead to an address, like registration and license plate. But he doesn't know anything about what's in the house or who's there. Why should he care that, after going through a complex and risky process to get a copy of the keys and the address, he has slightly easier access to a house of unknown quality? Worry instead about people who have access to that information. Repairmen, exterminators, maids, anybody who has a legitimate reason to go around your house. And be wary of letting untrusted people know when your house might be empty for an extended amount of time.