GPS System Used To Track Appliances Ripped Off From Vacant Foreclosed Homes

In Las Vegas, Nevada, KTNV-TV Channel 13 reports:

• You never expect your house to get broken into, but when a burglary happens, it can be a scary thing. And expensive too. The good news is property crimes in the Valley are down. However, one type of burglary is on the rise and hitting places you wouldn't expect, empty, foreclosed homes. One victim emailed us to investigate and we found some local realtors are using some new technology to protect themselves.

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• While Metro tracks the crime patterns by location, [real estate investor Zolt] Szorenyi is also doing some tracking of his own. "That's going to show you where the GPS is located," Szorenyi shows Action News a web site with a GPS tracking system. He's installed the devices in all his appliances at his foreclosed properties.

• "You'd have to put a GPS on a rock if you don't want it to go. They'll steal everything," he says. He can see where his appliances are on this web site and it alerts him if they're being stolen. "Basically going to tell me exactly where the location is and I can zoom in on that," he explains. He won't show us where he puts the GPS' but says they're wallet sized and have a motion sensor.

• He tested one out for Action News. He moved a stove in one of his vacant properties. In under a minute, an email alert comes in. Then, his phone rings. An automated voice sounds from his speaker phone saying, "Dewalt mobile lock has just had an alarm." The system isn't cheap as it costs Szorenyi $400 per unit. He thinks it's saving him money in the long run.

For the story, see Homeowner puts GPS device on appliances to help stop theft.