The biggest stars in American sports are being targeted by a highly organized international criminal gang of thieves.
The FBI was forced to issue a memo to major leagues and sports teams offering advice and guidance on how to avoid being targeted.
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The move comes after a series of robberies in recent months that saw Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott, Luka Doncic, Mike Conley and Bobby Portis among the victims.
The FBI said “at least nine professional athletes” were targeted between September and November 2024.
They claimed the group – believed to be from South America – uses high-tech equipment and proven tactics to monitor their targets, then prepare and carry out their crimes.
This includes conducting physical surveillance and monitoring public information.
Read more about burglaries
The group will use social media and the team's timeline to identify potential victim lifestyles and strikes when they are away from home.
They will also use posts to target high-value items and use the information collected with any photos of interiors.
ABC News obtained the FBI report titled “Information Contact Report.”
“These homes are targeted for burglary due to the belief that they may contain luxury items such as handbags, jewelry, watches and cash,” the letter read.
“While many burglaries occur when homes are vacant, some burglaries occur while residents are in their homes.
“In these cases, individuals are encouraged to seek assistance from law enforcement and avoid interactions with criminals, as they may be armed or use violence if confronted.”
The report added that the criminal network uses “Wi-Fi jammers to block Wi-Fi connections, disable devices, cover security cameras, and obscure their identities.”
“Professional athletes are targeted because they have money, and you can easily find out if they have things you can steal from social media,” Scott Andrew Selby, author of Flawless: Inside the Biggest Diamond Heist in History, told NBC News. “. Such as watches or jewelry.
“And everyone knows when they're away from work.”
FBI guidelines suggested that potential targets should keep a careful record of their valuables, inventory any high-value items and employ extra security.
Players and those in their circles should also avoid posting anything from inside their homes, i.e. valuables or luxury items and also avoid real-time photos while away from home or on vacation.
FBI Statement on Robberies of Professional Athletes
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued an information bulletin about robberies targeting professional athletes. The agency wrote in part:
“These homes are targeted for burglary due to the belief that they may contain luxury items such as handbags, jewellery, watches and cash.
“While many burglaries occur when homes are vacant, some burglaries occur while residents are in their homes. In these cases, individuals are encouraged to seek assistance from law enforcement and avoid interactions with criminals, as they may be armed or use violence if confronted.” .
“These preparatory tactics enable burglary groups to carry out burglaries in a short period of time. Organized burglary groups bypass alarm systems, use Wi-Fi jammers to block Wi-Fi connections and disable devices, cover security cameras, and obscure their identities.”
Dak Prescott was the latest to speak publicly about being targeted.
His fiancée, Sarah Jane Ramos, had $40,000 worth of items stolen from her car, including cash, credit cards and luxury handbags.
Ramos was at a Pilates class in downtown Dallas when thieves struck Gucci, Chanel, YSL and Prada handbags and electronic equipment among the stolen items.
Local media said that Ramos “forgot to lock” the car, but the Dallas Cowboys star did not want that to be “associated” with the situation.
“I don't want to associate that, and I don't want anyone to associate that with other things that happened,” he said.
“I mean her car was broken into at a Pilates gym in Dallas.
“Who knows how many times a day that happens? That's all.”
“But as far as the other one – protecting the house and that – yes, I will take all the necessary steps to ensure safety and it won’t happen to me.”
He added: “I cannot write about all the ways I use to protect my security because then I would open a loophole, but I always understood who I was or where I was, especially since I was a midfielder on this team and he targeted me, whether it was because of a natural robbery or because of losing a match or Anything else.
“I understand the situation I'm in. So, for me, it's more about today and now I'm protecting my fiancée and my daughter.”
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Prescott said that was one of the downsides of fame.
“I mean, not everything that comes with it is great, right? You weigh the good with the bad,” he said.
“You realize, like you said, who we are, what we're exposed to, that other people can look up and see just how much we're making or maybe a title, and that puts us in subjection to a target.
“As my teammates and I have said, I think for anyone in the league, or anyone with celebrity status, I think you could say, it's unfortunate, but, yeah, we have to take it and do what's necessary to protect us and our family.”
Just one day after Prescott was targeted, Dallas star Luka Doncic seized $30,000 worth of jewelry from his home.
The Mavericks guard was playing for the Phoenix Suns in a road game at halftime.
“No one was home at the time, and fortunately, Luca and his family are OK,” said Lara Beth Seeger, his manager.
“Luca has filed a police report, and the investigation is ongoing.”
Kansas City Chiefs teammates Mahomes and Kelce had their homes burglarized within hours of each other.
Neither player was home at the time, and although the Chiefs played a home game that week, the players often stayed at a hotel the night before the game.
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Mahomes lost memorabilia in the burglary while his wife, Brittany, took jewelry and designer handbags.
The US Sun exclusively revealed that Kelce lost his first Super Bowl jersey and nearly $100,000 worth of jewelry was taken.
Joe Burrow is shown on the verge of tears after his home was robbed during the Cincinnati Bengals' Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys in early December.
The midfielder said he felt his “privacy had been violated” by the attack and after the media attention.
“I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one,” he said.
“And there is already so much I want and care to share.”
Burrow added: “We live a public life, and you know, one of my least favorite parts is the lack of privacy, and it's been difficult for me to deal with my entire career.
“I'm still learning, but I understand that this is the life we choose.
“That doesn't make it any easier to deal with.”
Milwaukee Bucks guard Bobby Portis released a video of his home invasion, in which two figures can be seen wearing ski masks.
Portis was playing in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the time and later requested assistance or information to return some of his “valuable property” that had been seized.
