Imagine walking into your home in the middle of the afternoon. You have an unexpected day off and you're ready to jump into your comfy clothes and relax in the peace and tranquility that is your space. Just as you're ready to put your feet up you glance up at your attic door inside your closet and see a pair of legs creeping down. This is phrogging (pronounced 'frogging') and it is very real.

What is Phrogging and Has it Happened in Michigan?

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Phrogging is very similar to squatting, only phrogging is secretly living in someone's occupied home. 'Phroggers' get their name because those that practice this crime tend to 'hop' from home to home, never overstaying their welcome so as to avoid being detected.

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A Michigan case of phrogging was featured on an episode of Lifetime's "Phrogging: Hider in My House", entitled: "Creepy Encounters". According to TheCinemaholic.com, Sherry Lovell was living in Almont, Michigan in 2019 when strange things started happening around the house. Sherry had custody of her grandkids and was raising them on her own when she began noticing things coming up missing. It began with a vodka cocktail, but soon boxes of cereal, leftovers, and eventually a bottle of air freshener. Assuming it was her grandkids, she asked, but they denied and she assumed were lying because they didn't want to get in trouble.

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One night in February of 2019, Lovell was changing her clothes when she felt the barrel of a gun on the back of her head. When she turned around she was stunned to see her ex-husband, who had been living in the crawl space for several weeks. Unfortunately for Lovall, the nightmare was just beginning. TheCinemaholic.com explains:

Even though Sherry followed her ex-husband’s orders, he forced Sherry into her own truck, child-locked the doors, and began driving toward Detroit. Naturally, Sherry was scared out of her wits and kept looking for a chance to escape. She ultimately got her chance when the intruder got out and immediately jumped into the driver’s seat before driving to her best friend’s house with the car. Later, the police managed to catch up with her ex-husband, and the show mentioned that he is currently awaiting a jury trial after being charged with 16 felony counts.

Lovell survived her harrowing tale and it serves as a cautionary tale for the rest of Michigan.

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How To Spot and Avoid Phroggers in Michigan

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Supermoney.com has 5 simple tips to avoid falling victim to phrogging:

  1. Check spaces in your home you don't use regularly
  2. Set-Up security cameras
  3. Monitor your belongings
  4. Get a dog

Related: Michigan Says You Can't Own These 11 Weapons

When was the last time you took a close look at your basement, attic, or crawlspace?

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