(NewsNation) — Law enforcement officials are warning people across the country to beware of “burglary tourism” that has been largely centered in southern California but, they say, is now spreading.

Officials are warning residents to be on the lookout for signs they may be a target for theft.

One case in Calabasas, California, involved a camouflaged camera and battery pack, found hidden in a front yard planter by the resident.

That case follows multiple discoveries in southern California that have involved cameras camouflaged with fake greenery and strategically hidden inside bushes or flower boxes.

In some cases, criminals have used livestreams to track when people leave, usually in affluent neighborhoods, so they know when to strike.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said South American theft groups are behind the trend, with people from Chile or Colombia who enter the U.S. on limited tourist visas to engage in criminal activity.

In the past, burglary tourists surveilled homes by hiding out nearby before disabling security systems. But now thieves have stepped things up with technology, in particular hidden cameras disguised as things like fake rocks.

One resident said he discovered his home was being watched after his across-the-street neighbor found a suspicious fake rock.

“I was scared, my wife was scared, I was crying,” said James Dimapasok. “There was a camera that was covered in clay that looked like a rock. So it was very precise. It was on a power bank, so it was like a cordless camera.”

Lt. Dustin Carr, with the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, said that’s typical for this type of crime.

“This kind of matches their modus operanda of what they’ve been doing in so far as burglaries around our area, using cameras,” he said. “Obviously, this is a new device that we’ve discovered. We’re going to have to be a lot more vigilant looking for these.”

Burglary tourism is also impacting affluent neighborhood in states across the country, including Arizona, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina and New York.

But the camouflaged cameras are a new tactic, so law enforcement is urging residents everywhere to conduct property searches and report any suspicious neighborhood activity.

Last week, police in Glendale, California, arrested four Colombian nationals in connection with burglaries. Police were tipped off when they spotted a car driving around a neighborhood at night with no headlights on.

With those recent arrests and the new warning, it’s likely criminals will be looking for new, even more sophisticated tactics to elude police, making it even more important for residents to be alert about what is going on in their neighborhood.