CLIFTON HEIGHTS, Pa. (WPVI) -- An open house can be one of the dangers of putting your home up for sale.
You usually have to open it up to an awful lot of strangers, including potential buyers and realtors - and that can spell trouble.
Surveillance video shows one man browsing an open house in Los Angeles, for example, and walking out with a locked drawer.
Police say he ripped it off, along with the expensive jewelry inside.
Law enforcers say real estate open houses can be the perfect opportunity for thieves to strike, while realtors are busy worrying about potential buyers.
"What they're stealing during open houses is typically three items: one, jewelry; two, handguns; and three, now a new wave, prescription medications," said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan.
Realtor Linda Johnson was hosting an open house in Clifton Heights when she says a pair of what she thought were prospective buyers pulled a fast one on her.
"He was telling me this story," said Johnson. "The wife says, 'Oh, he's going to talk forever, so how about if I just go upstairs and take a peak?'"
Later that evening, Johnson said, "I received a phone call from the owner of the property, and she said, "I've been robbed."
"I went upstairs to get some medicine," said the homeowner, Roseann Perry. "It was in my night stand, and it was gone. All of it."
Sometimes criminals target open houses to steal prescription drugs.
Whelan says it is common enough that he is appointing a realtor to his drug task force to gather insider tips.
"We suggest to realtors it may be good to have at least two realtors present," said Whelan.
And sometimes it's not just the prospective buyers you have to worry about.
A realtor stole jewelry from a home in Arizona, another pilfered prescription drugs in Florida. And one broker in Maryland was caught going through a drawer to steal lingerie.
Police say sellers should check a realtor's qualifications.
In general, experts say, when you hold an open house, make sure you're not being too open.