Who are froggers and how do they manage to live secretly and for free in other people's houses

The thought of someone secretly living in your house and waiting quietly in the closet while you leave for work to eat food and pet your cat is terrifying. But it seems to happen quite often, reports Lifehacker.

Photo: IStock

This phenomenon even has a name - “phrogging”.

These people aren't trying to steal your jewelry like a regular burglar - they want to secretly live with you for a few days before moving on to someone else's new apartment. It's a risky but free lifestyle, perfect for amoral thrill seekers.

What is frogging

It's impossible to know exactly how common frogging is, but sometimes something like frogging happens. Take, for example, the Knoxville man who found a half-naked dude living in his basement cooking meth, or Braden Woodhouse, who was recently found guilty in Cedar Rapids of breaking into numerous homes to use the residents' computers to watch porn.

But the media only reports on caught frogging lovers. People who know how to do this, those who leave behind nothing but a dark silhouette on video and a restless feeling, are never arrested. There may be thousands of them. Or none at all.

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Frogging differs from home invasion and robbery mainly in intent.

Supposedly, there is an underground frogging community that doesn't get enough attention to make it into the news. They are said to congregate on darknet message boards where they share tips on how to avoid detection in other people's homes and even post videos of sleeping homeowners to show off.

A stranger secretly moving into a house just to sleep over may not be common, but it is possible and the LAPD would never know if it happened.

To catch an unwanted guest, you need to think like him. Here is a hypothetical guide for this secretive subculture. Treat every recommendation as a negative example and do the opposite to reduce your chances of being frogged.

Tips for Successful Frogging

Remember your moral code: you are not a thief or a robber. You're just taking advantage of unused space in someone else's home to take a cheap break. It's morally questionable, but once you start taking other people's valuables, you'll move from breaking, breaking, and breaking into more serious crimes.

Place, place, place: To minimize your chances of being discovered and jailed, choosing the right frogging home is vital. The most obvious choice is unoccupied properties such as model homes, off-season vacation homes, and abandoned properties.

Choose the right house: For the best experience, you want to choose a home that has all residents working during the day, but is large enough to have an attic, basement, or garage that isn't used all the time. Think of the middle ground between "so rich that I stay at home all day" and "so poor that I literally use my entire house." The pool that takes up most of the backyard is a good marker and there could be a pool house there.

Another option: student hostel. You won't have first-class food and the comforts of a country estate, but the fleeting and unconventional life of students makes it easier to avoid detection. Students may not even call the police if they catch you. For example, roommates in Ohio did not tell the police they found a guy who had been secretly living in their basement for months.

Choose a garage or a guest house: You know what doesn't make the news? When someone lives in the garage for a couple of nights and leaves. It's not the best option for sleeping or stealing food, but there might be a mini-fridge stocked with beer in the corner.

Avoid security cameras: the tracking system is a vagrant's worst nightmare and they are becoming more and more common. So proceed with caution. Avoid homes with flashy cameras or lawn signs advertising security companies.

Dogs are not your best friends: stay away from any home with dogs. It's not just the "tear you apart" fangs that you have to worry about. Even a tiny friendly dog ​​will whine at the closet door if you're hiding there. choose houses with cats.

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Check for weapons: once you've snuck into your chosen house, look out for a gun safe or other evidence of firearms, which will greatly increase your chances of being killed. Homeowners in the US generally have the power to use deadly force against an intruder in their home, and you won't be able to defend yourself in court if you're dead - people tend to assume the worst when thinking about someone who breaks into their home.

Good frogging is neat frogging: don't make a mess. When you get out of your little hideout after everyone's gone to work or sleep, by all means, enjoy a comfortable sofa and a big TV, but make sure you put the remote in the right place before climbing back into the attic. Unless you're one of those who try to quietly make the owner think he's going crazy. In this case, move everything subtly. Tilt the photos on the wall. Steal one fork. Get creative with this.

Don't eat too much: the more you eat, the more likely you are to be noticed. Do not finish the rest of the milk and do not empty the cereal box.

Don't stay too long: no matter how good the accommodations are, don't stay too long. Convenience makes you sloppy. Don't be like this woman in Japan - she lived quietly in a closet for a year. But if she left after eight months, no one would know about it.

What to do if you think you have a frogger in your house

All of the above rules for successful frogging can be used to detect and prevent the intrusion of unwanted tenants. Think also about the following:

Contact the police: obviously this should be your first step. If you suspect someone is secretly living within your walls, don't become a vigilante and shoot them or anything like that except as a last resort. Even though you can legally use lethal force against intruders in your home, killing someone who just wants to stay warm for a few nights has disturbing moral implications.

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Consider if you have mental health issues. Signs of the presence of someone - elusive arrangement of things, doors left open, unexplained sounds, moving objects, etc. - reflect the symptoms of psychosis, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. Mental illness is far more common than someone hiding in your home, so rule it out first.

Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning can make people see or hear things that aren't there. This is more common than having a secret tenant. So make sure your smoke detectors are working properly.

This is not a ghost many frogging news stories report that residents at first thought their home was haunted. Don't hire a magician or shaman to cleanse your home - burning sage and sprinkling holy water has no effect on unwanted residents.

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