Video of man stealing from real estate agent during inspection on Gold Coast

Gold Coast residents are being warned to lock up amid a predicted rise in break-ins and theft, with a real estate agent targeted while she was on the job. Watch the video

Gold Coast residents are being warned to lock up amid a predicted rise in break-ins and theft as holiday-makers embark on their summer travel plans.

CCTV images of brazen would-be thieves scoping out homes and reported thefts from Carrara to Currumbin have flooded Facebook community groups in recent days.

Among them is a real estate agent who had her bag snatched from a car while holding a house inspection in Carrara and a bloke who chased a would-be thief from a Mermaid Waters home while wearing only his underpants.

In a video posted to social media, a white car can be seen pulling up to the real estate agent’s parked car in broad daylight.

A man walks up to the car and steals a bag from inside while his getaway car waits for him, then drives off.

A teen was captured on CCTV in a Mermaid Waters backyard.

“Honestly we should do a class on how to do a citizens arrest with the influx of sh**ty people trying to rob in our area,” one Carrara resident wrote.

“It’s getting worse with these young groups of kids,” another said.

Earlier this week, Gold Coast Police District Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon urged people to keep their homes and keys secure.

He pointed out that police figures had showed juvenile crime was decreasing.

Supt Hanlon said juvenile crime had decreased about 20 per cent in the period of January 1 to September 30 compared to the same period last year.

RACQ is calling on residents to safeguard their homes after data revealed more than $13m worth of property had been stolen homes in the past three years.

RACQ group executive of insurance Trent Sayers said it had received more than 3400 reported theft from home claims in Queensland since November 2019.

Gold Coast Police District Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon.

The Gold Coast is among the top 10 areas for most reported claims of this type, with 355 lodged over the past three years.

“While the pandemic resulted in a drop in break-ins, as more and more people plan to head away over the summer, now is not the time for complacency when it comes to securing our properties,” Mr Sayers said.

“Our research shows three quarters of Queenslanders are concerned about being broken into while away on holidays, with most (67 per cent) taking extra home security measures.

“In addition to making sure all entry points to your home are secure, extra precautions can include having a house sitter or someone check on your property regularly, having your mail collected, leaving lights on timers, and having security cameras.”

Queensland Police acting Inspector Dallas Kowald said offenders were also targeting parcels delivered to homes.

“We are encouraging residents to ensure their mail and parcels are protected from theft by collecting them in a timely manner, providing specific instructions to place the parcel in a safe location, or using secure collection points such as parcel lockers,” he said.