Thieves Take High-End Home Decor

In the latest real-estate-related scam, burglars in upscale communities on the West Coast reportedly are stealing expensive furniture and decorator items from vacant upscale homes.

One group of suspects in such capers, for instance, allegedly had stockpiled some $250,000 in high-end home swag when nabbed by authorities in Southern California recently, reports the New York Times. The staged furnishings are intended to attract potential buyers in a tough market for home sales

In one unsolved home furnishings heist in Oakland, Calif., thieves reportedly stole high-end bed linens and a metal bed frame. However, they spurned the matching dust ruffle, the newspaper recounts.

“The thief seems to be someone with very good taste, somebody who knows that mauve is out,” says president D.J. Grubb of a real estate company there.