Home owners selling their houses on-line are being warned to be cautious with their "virtual tours" in case they alert web-searching thieves to the location of valuables.
Monday, August 23rd 2004, 5:29AM
by The Landlord
Police and real estate experts in New Zealand spoken to by the Sunday Star-Times have not yet heard of houses being burgled after a virtual tour but say vendors should be aware of the power of the technology following an Australian case.
In Sydney, Michael Pallier now dissuades vendors from using virtual tours after a house he was marketing that way was broken into. He said the on-line tour had provided the thieves with the know-how to break into the house, avoid security and steal a safe full of valuables.
"We have gone off using virtual tours in the interest of the safety of our vendors," Pallier told Australia's The Sun Herald newspaper.
