About Bump-Key Burglaries

Bump-key burglaries comprise an old practice that has taken on a new popularity with the widespread use of the Internet. It is a simple practice that involves the use of a specially ground key with specifically placed bumps and grooves that are capable of opening just about any lock. This is a thief's master key, and one that everyone should be aware of.

Significance

Thieves are always on the lookout for a new way to get into a home. None, however, is more audacious than using the homeowner's key to get in. That's almost exactly what's done in bump-key burglaries. The key used isn't the homeowner's, however, but one specially ground to get into just about any lock. It is essentially a master key for any mechanical lock. With it, the thief can enter and exit a home, leaving not a trace of his crime--that is, with the exception of the missing goods.

Features

Bump keys are made by strategically filing down the grooves (or "bumps") in an ordinary house key to make it fit any mechanical lock. Police are hesitant to share the details of the process, and it is a proprietary secret amongst thieves. There is said to be more than one way to create a bump key, but the result is the same. When it is inserted into any lock, just as with a master key, its bumps and grooves trigger the tumblers inside the lock, causing it to open.

The biggest clue that a burglary was performed using a bump key is the lack of any entry evidence. The bump key does not damage the lock in any way, and leaves no other signs on the lock's exterior that the entryway of the home has been tampered with.

Prevention/Solution

A bump key will only work with a mechanical lock. So most law-enforcement officials recommend using a hybrid digital and mechanical lock for the most important locks in the home, such as the front door. You can also use a sliding bolt lock on the inside of the door and exit another way, such as through a garage.

For people who cannot afford such methods, the easiest way to defeat a bump-key burglar is to spray lubricant into the lock. This makes the pin inside slippery and loose, and less susceptible to a bump key. A very well-made bump key used with patience may still penetrate a lubricated lock; such a lock will, however, turn away a novice or opportunistic bump-key burglar who will not want to waste time retrying the lock.

History

The bump-key crime wave is not a new phenomenon. In fact, the burglar's skill behind it dates back over 50 years. Before the Internet, it was a trick known only amongst the most skilled thieves. However, the Internet has made it possible for millions of people to learn how to make and use a bump key. The development of new hybrid mechanical and digital locks has fortunately thwarted these new thieves.

Benefits

The bump-key burglary business has pushed locksmiths and manufacturers to develop new, more tamper-resistant locks, such as the hybrid and digital locks. It has also made detectives more aware of the crime and its particulars, helping them to catch the culprits more quickly.