The FBI is warning sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes following a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent NFL and NBA players.
The athletes’ homes are targeted due to the perception they may contain high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches and cash, the FBI said in a Liaison Information Report obtained by ABC News.
The NFL and NBA already have issued security alerts to their players after the break-ins, some of which have come when players were away with their teams for road games. The NFL’s alert says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.”
Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized. Lara Beth Seager, the star guard’s business manager, told multiple media outlets Saturday there was a break-in at Dončić’s home. Seager said nobody was home at the time of the incident Friday night, and Dončić filed a police report.
Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati, along with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, have been victims, as have NBA players Bobby Portis of Milwaukee and Mike Conley Jr. of Minnesota.
Organized theft groups from South America use publicly available information and social media to identify athletes’ habits and track their comings and goings, the FBI report said. The groups use technology allowing them to bypass alarm systems, block wireless internet connections and disable devices, cover security cameras and hide their identities.
Athletes are encouraged to report suspicious activity, keep records of valuables and where they are kept, employ extra security and use caution on social media. The FBI also suggested athletes avoid posting pictures of valuables, the interior of their homes and real-time posts when on vacation.
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