10 Signs Retired Detectives Say Mean a Senior's House Is Being Watched

A house being watched rarely looks dramatic at first. It may start with the same unfamiliar car returning to your street, a stranger walking past at odd hours, a flyer wedged in the door, a utility worker asking who lives there, or a gate that suddenly isn’t latched the way you left it. This video breaks down ten warning signs retired detectives and a longtime locksmith say can reveal when someone is studying a home before a burglary. Most of the response costs almost nothing: document patterns, talk to neighbors, verify unexpected visitors independently, photograph suspicious marks, and call the police non-emergency line before something becomes an emergency. The most serious sign is also the easiest to overlook—fresh pry marks around a lock can mean someone already tested your door and may come back.