FBI issues warning to athletes amid burglaries after NBA and NFL stars, including Travis Kelce, were targeted

The FBI has issued a formal warning to US sports leagues after confirming that at least nine professional athletes have been victims of burglaries by organized theft groups.

The sports world, in particular the NFL, has suffered a spate of home burglaries dating back to September. 

Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes were targeted in October, while Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was the latest NFL player to have their home broken into.

The FBI has now issued a report on the spate of crimes, indicating that professional sports stars are being targeted by an organized crime gang while they are traveling on the road for games. 

'These homes are targeted for burglary due to the perception they may have high-end goods like designer handbags, jewelry, watches, and cash,' the FBI said in a Liaison Information Report, via ABC News. 

The report additionally stated that 'organized theft groups allegedly burglarized the homes of at least nine professional athletes' between September and November 2024. 

'While many burglaries occur while homes are unoccupied, some burglaries occur while residents are home. In these instances, individuals are encouraged to seek law enforcement help and avoid engaging with criminals, as they may be armed or use violence if confronted,' investigators further stated. 

The Bureau said that organized theft groups from South America conduct both physical and technical surveillance before carrying out the burglaries. 

'These preparation tactics enable theft groups to conduct burglaries in a short amount of time. Organized theft groups bypass alarm systems, use Wi-Fi jammers to block Wi-Fi connections and disable devices, cover security cameras, and obfuscate their identities,' the FBI report said. 

The groups are said to use publicly available information as well as social media to monitor and establish their victims' daily routines and often have identified in advance where valuables are kept within the properties, according to the FBI. 

The FBI advised athletes to report suspicious activity and to keep an inventory of their valuables and their location. 

They also encouraged them to bolster their security teams and take greater care when using social media in order to avoid sharing photos of valuables, glimpses into the interior of homes and real-time posts when away from the property for long durations of time. 

The NFL issued a security alert to players after Kelce and Mahomes saw their homes raided in October. 

Kelce, who is dating pop sensation Taylor Swift, is thought to have lost $100,000 in jewelry and his first ever Super Bowl jersey. 

Meanwhile, quarterback Mahomes reportedly lost jerseys, medals, trophies, awards and more, while the crooks are also believed to have swiped jewelry and designer bags belonging to his wife Brittany. 

Burglars are said to have targeted Mahomes' Belton pad at around midnight on October 6. Kelce's $6million property across the border in Kansas was then broken into shortly after on October 7, the day the Chiefs faced the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium with Swift watching on in the stands. 

Mahomes spoke briefly about the incident in November, saying: 'Obviously, it’s frustrating, disappointing.

'I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing, but obviously, it’s something that you don’t want to happen to really anybody but obviously yourself.

'I can’t speak too much about the details of everything just with the investigation going on, but I’m sure at some point that will be talked about.'

When Bengals quarterback Burrow was targeted, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Olivia Ponton was in the home.

Burrow was believed to be dating long-term girlfriend Olivia Holzmacher but they have not been seen together for months.

Burrow said to reporters about the incident: 'There is already way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share.

'That has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career - still learning, but I understand it's the life that we choose. [But it] doesn't make it any easier to deal with.'

But the attacks haven't been limited to the NFL. Burglaries of sports stars' homes have occurred across the country, including most recently NBA star Luka Doncic's Dallas property last Friday. 

NBA reporter Marc Stein quoted Doncic's business manager Lara Beth Seager as saying: 'No one was home at the time and thankfully Luka and his family are safe.

'Luka has filed a police report and an investigation is ongoing.'