Lists Of Foreclosed Homes For Sale Beginning To Attract Interest From Copper Thieves?

It was only a matter of time before a story like this came along, although it apparently isn't the first such incident. In Cleveland Heights, Ohio, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

• Police broke up an organized copper-theft ring Wednesday that used foreclosure lists to pinpoint targets. The burglars' information on what houses to hit came from unlikely but official sources: the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office, according to Police Chief Martin Lentz. "We suspected that it was more than random targeting of houses," Lentz said. "We didn't know how sophisticated it was until we started getting these lists."

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• It's the second time in three months that Cleveland Heights police have broken up a copper-theft ring using foreclosure lists - which are public records and are available on the Internet. On Dec. 24, police arrested three people involved in a more-sophisticated copper-theft ring that used a computer to track foreclosed homes. [...] They had an 11-page printout of mortgage and bank foreclosures from HUD, Lentz said.

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• The theft of copper, brass and aluminum continues to escalate. The illicit market is fueled to a large degree because of China's growing demand for metals. Copper sells for as much as $3 a pound.

For more, see Copper theft ring worked from foreclosure lists, Cleveland Heights police say (Suspects relied on foreclosure lists, Heights police say).

See also, WKYC-TV Channel 3: Copper thieves used foreclosure list to target homes.

For other stories on stolen copper, see Copper Thefts I and Copper Thefts II. copper metal theft yak