Criminals are using Zillow to plan break-ins. Here’s how to remove your home in 10 minutes.

The full state is watching the Nancy Guthrie case. When the suspected kidnapping happened, I was curious. How agelong would it instrumentality maine to find her location code and compartment telephone fig connected a radical hunt site?

About 30 seconds.

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I past pasted her code into Zillow and saw photos of her home. I could lucifer what I recovered to the video from a location circuit done connected the Today show. I could spot the layout. The introduction points. The windows. Where her furnishings sat. Imagine if I was a transgression equipped with that info.

Here's the thing: I'm not immoderate hacker. I utilized escaped websites anyone tin entree from their couch.

This is happening everywhere

In Scottsdale, Arizona, 2 teens dressed arsenic transportation drivers forced their mode into a couple's home. They duct-taped and assaulted the homeowners, looking for $66 cardinal successful cryptocurrency. They got the victims' location code from strangers connected an encrypted app.

Savannah Guthrie and parent Nancy Guthrie connected Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

In Delray Beach, Florida, a retired mates had their sliding solid doorway shattered by thieves. The attackers had their location code from leaked idiosyncratic data. That unit went connected to deed victims successful aggregate states.

Riverside, California, constabulary confirmed detectives routinely find Zillow and Redfin searches connected phones seized from arrested burglary suspects. 

A erstwhile NYPD detective enactment it bluntly: today's burglars tin lawsuit your location from their seat with a cupful of java and get amended intel than they ever could sitting extracurricular with binoculars.

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The numbers are scary

Zillow's database covers implicit 160 cardinal homes. Listing photos often enactment online agelong aft a location is sold. That means photos of your home, taken erstwhile you listed it three, five, adjacent 10 years ago, could inactive beryllium sitting determination close present showing each room, each door, each model and precisely wherever your information cameras are mounted.

Google Street View covers 10 cardinal miles of roadworthy worldwide. Criminals usage it to cheque retired vehicles parked successful driveways, scope backyards and program flight routes. In immoderate areas, constabulary accidental thieves are adjacent utilizing drones to adjacent into windows and cheque for dogs.

Aerial drone shots of missing idiosyncratic Nancy Guthrie’s location connected Tuesday, February 3, 2026 successful Tucson, Arizona. Nancy Guthrie, parent of 'Today' amusement big Savannah Guthrie, is suspected of being abducted from her location earlier this week. (Fox Flight Team)

Anyone tin benignant your sanction into a escaped radical hunt tract and get your location code successful seconds. Then they plug it into Zillow and spot your level plan, introduction points, model types and wherever the information cameras sit.

Unless you're selling your home, instrumentality down your photos. Now.

Take it each down successful 10 minutes

These steps tin look a small antithetic depending connected your device, app mentation oregon browser. If it's not exact, poke around. The enactment is there.

Redfin: Sign successful astatine redfin.com. Go to Owner Dashboard. Select your location > Edit Photos > Hide listing photos > Save.

Realtor.com: Go to realtor.com/myhome. Claim your home, past prime it under My Home > Remove Photos > Yes, Remove All Photos.

Google Street View: Open Google Maps connected a computer. Search your address, driblet into Street View, past click "Report a problem" (bottom right). Position the reddish container implicit your home. Under Request blurring, select "My home." Submit. FYI, erstwhile it's blurred, it's permanent. Good.

A subordinate of the Pima County sheriff's bureau remains extracurricular of Nancy Guthrie's home, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 successful Tucson, Ariz. (Ty ONeil/AP Photo)

Pro tip: Ask your aged listing cause to propulsion photos from the MLS. Once they're gone from MLS, the feeder sites yet follow.

Also, portion you're astatine it, hunt yourself connected radical hunt sites similar Spokeo, WhitePages and BeenVerified. Most fto you opt out. It takes immoderate clip per site, but it cuts disconnected the archetypal measurement criminals usage to find you. Better stake is to motion up for Incogni, a sponsor of my nationalist vigor amusement and podcasts.

If you're not selling, there's zero crushed for the net to person a virtual circuit of your home. Take it down today.

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I conjecture you could accidental Zillow gives everyone an unfastened house. Problem is, you ne'er sent the invitations.

Know idiosyncratic who bought a location successful the past fewer years? Forward this. Their listing photos are astir apt inactive online and they person nary idea. You tin motion up for my 5-star rated newsletter astatine my website, Komando.com. 

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