"Phrogging" - advanced squatting or ignorant crime?

[MetalBryan]

Maybe you've heard of this but I sure haven't. Sounds dangerous for all sorts of reasons and doesn't seem stealthy enough to be viable. There weren't any MSM articles about it and the Phrogging subreddit was private. Dark web something something. Your thoughts?

Evil Week: Your Guide to Living Secretly in a Stranger's Home

Phroggers live a rent-free criminal existence hiding in occupied houses. Here's how to live the life (or detect a phrog in your own home).

lifehacker.com

What Does "Phrogging" Mean?

"Phrogging" is the act of secretly living in another person’s home without their knowledge or permission. Learn more about the term here.

www.dictionary.com

 

[Matt Derrick]

I can't say I've never done it, but the sentence, "There could be thousands of them. Or none at all." Makes the legitimacy of this article immediately suspect.

 

[TheDesertMouse]

Yeah, this seems like shameless clickbait fearmongering bullshit, or just strait up trolling. The only two examples they give are a tweaker who clearly wasn't living in the dudes crawlspace, and a pervert who was breaking in too watch porn.
The entire idea is just absurd, squatting a house with people actively living in it? Come on. I expected this to be about squatting second homes, or cabins in the woods. Which I have never done myself ever >.>.

I like how thru out the lifehacker article the author repeatedly fails to come up with any evidence this actually happends. And then pulls a ‘well what do they know!’ attitude. Or just openly asks if this is all bullshit. Lol I think someone be trolling.

 

[MetalBryan]

I confess I posted it knowing it was clickbait, but I really wanted this to be a niche thing here on StP - getting members to fess up. I really wanted to know how this works and what strategies people employ to live like this.

I guess it could be an option for the truly desperate, like breaking into someone's basement to grab a few hours of shut eye or to avoid dangerous weather events. If they leave a ladder outside or in an open garage I guess you could scale the house up to the attic? FYI there's more "scary" videos about it on Youtube.

 

[Beegod Santana]

A cop in eastern OK told me they had a lot of issues with tweakers attempting this in the winter time. Said it was mostly heated garages but they did occasionally find people in attics. I kind doubt there's any actual "culture" of it though. If you're sharp enough to hid in someones house for a long period of time without getting caught you're probably also smart enough to realize why it's a stupid idea.

 

[Down and Out]

Honestly I never even thought about it till I saw that Korean film where the people live in the basement. Seems like quite possibly the most absurdly ninja thing someone could do.

 

[Matt Derrick]

I confess I posted it knowing it was clickbait, but I really wanted this to be a niche thing here on StP

no worries, i think this is funny and worth discussing here... i will say that I distinctly remember one time back in the early 2000's that there was a basement below an apt with a hatch we could crawl in to get to a huge basement room we would all go to to party and sleep in occasionally to stay out of the elements. it was a nice spot but eventually someone caught on cause we got too loud down there.

 

[Marticus]

Hah! This idea made me laugh hardily. I love the idea! And hate it! There’s a lot of people in this crazy world. I’m sure at least someone has phrogged. I hope they did it “ethically” in some asshole’s McMansion and enjoyed themselves for a good long time without getting caught. There are so many wealthy old people with waaaaay more house than they need.

 

[MichelleA66]

I saw a movie, years ago, two kids did this for fun but not as a lifestyle. I'll see if I can find the title.

I guess it wasn't that long ago yet still I forget most of the details. (Getting old sucks). The movie is I See You (2019) and is on Netflix.