The floorboards in the hallway have always creaked near the linen closet, so you don't think much of it at 3:00 AM. You roll over, pull the duvet higher, and blame the house settling or maybe the cat. But then you remember: you don’t have a cat. This isn't a ghost story, though it feels like one. It's the reality of phrogging. The term—pronounced like the amphibian—refers to someone living inside your home without your permission, right under your nose. Unlike a burglar who breaks in to grab your jewelry and run, a phrogging hider in my house wants to stay. They want your heat, your Wi-Fi, and maybe a few bites of your leftovers while you’re at work.
It's creepy. Honestly, it’s terrifying.
Most people think this is just an urban legend or a trope from the 2019 film I See You. But real-life cases are documented more often than you'd expect. In 2022, a woman in Washington found a man living in her crawlspace with a "shrine" dedicated to her. Before that, a Japanese man discovered a woman had been living in the top compartment of his closet for an entire year. She had even moved a thin mattress in there. These aren't just stories; they are genuine security breaches that happen because houses have more "dead space" than we realize.
Why would someone be a phrogging hider in my house anyway?
You'd think they’d just go to a shelter or sleep in a park. But phrogging offers a level of comfort that the streets can't provide. It’s about the "thrill" for some, a psychological phenomenon where the intruder enjoys the proximity to an unsuspecting family. For others, it’s purely survival. They find an unlocked basement door or a loose attic vent and realize they can coexist with you.
Think about your attic. When was the last time you actually went up there? Not just poked your head up, but walked to the very back corner behind the old Christmas decorations?
Most of us treat our homes like 2D spaces. We live on the floors, sit on the furniture, and ignore the voids behind the drywall or under the floorboards. A phrogging hider in my house exploits those blind spots. They learn your schedule. They know when you leave for work at 8:15 AM and when the garage door rumbles shut at 5:30 PM. That eight-hour window is their "daytime." They come out, use your shower, maybe even watch your TV at a very low volume, and then retreat before you turn the key in the lock.
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The subtle signs you're being phrogged
Your brain is wired to find excuses for weird things. It’s a survival mechanism called normalcy bias. You see a cereal bowl in the sink that you don’t remember using. "I must have been tired," you tell yourself. The thermostat is set to 72 degrees instead of 68. "Maybe the power flickered and it reset," you think.
Stop doing that.
If you suspect a phrogging hider in my house, you need to look for the tiny, inconsistent details that don't add up.
- Unexplained smells. This is the big one. Human beings are smelly. If you catch a whiff of body odor, cigarettes, or unfamiliar perfume in a room that's supposed to be empty, pay attention.
- The "Lego" effect. Items in your pantry or fridge are shifted slightly. A bag of chips is lighter than it was yesterday.
- Door and window locks. You find a window in the guest room unlocked when you’re certain you locked it last fall. Phroggers often "prep" exit and entry points so they can get in and out quickly if they are nearly caught.
- Utility bills. A sudden, inexplicable spike in water or electricity usage can indicate someone is using your facilities while you’re away.
Dr. Mary Ellen O’Toole, a former FBI profiler, has noted that these individuals often have a sense of entitlement or a deep-seated need for control. They aren't always "crazy" in the way Hollywood depicts them. Often, they are quite methodical. They have to be. To live in a house with other people and remain unseen requires a level of discipline that borders on professional.
Is my house even "phroggable"?
Not every home is a candidate for an unwanted roommate. Modern apartments with 700 square feet and no storage are hard to hide in. But older suburban homes? Those are gold mines.
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Check your crawlspace. Most people haven't looked in there since they bought the house. These spaces are often accessed by a small hatch in a closet or an exterior vent. If that vent is loose or the mesh is torn, a person can slide right in. Then there are the attics. If your attic is connected to a shared wall in a townhouse or duplex, someone could technically move from one unit to the other through the crawlspace above the ceiling. It sounds like something out of a spy movie, but in older construction, those firewalls weren't always sealed to the roofline.
What to do if you find evidence
First, don't scream "I know you're in there!" while you're alone.
If you truly believe there is a phrogging hider in my house, your priority is safety. You don't know this person's mental state. You don't know if they are armed. If you find a sleeping bag in your attic or a pile of food wrappers in the basement that aren't yours, leave the house immediately.
Call the police from your car or a neighbor's house. Let them do a sweep.
Don't feel silly.
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Police officers have seen this before. They would rather clear an empty attic than have you walk into a confrontation with a squatter who feels cornered. Once the house is cleared, the real work begins. You have to figure out how they got in. Was it a spare key under a fake rock? An old roommate who never gave back their copy? A sliding glass door that "locks" but can actually be lifted off its tracks?
Hardening your home against intruders
Prevention is basically about making your home "loud." Phroggers hate noise and light.
Installing a smart security system is the most obvious step, but focus on the sensors. Put motion sensors in the attic and the basement—places where you know nobody should be moving. Most people only put sensors on the front and back doors. That’s a mistake. If someone is already inside, those door sensors are useless.
Switch your locks to smart locks that log every time the door is opened. If you see that the "Side Door" was unlocked at 2:00 PM on a Tuesday while you were at the office, you have your answer.
Also, look at your landscaping. Overgrown bushes near windows are basically a "welcome" mat for someone looking to slip inside unnoticed. Keep the perimeter clear. Install motion-activated floodlights. It’s hard to be a "frog" when you’re standing in a 5,000-lumen spotlight.
Actionable steps for total peace of mind
If the "creep factor" is keeping you up at night, do a physical audit of your home today. Don't wait.
- Check the "Voids": Use a high-powered flashlight and actually enter your attic and crawlspace. Look for signs of "nesting"—blankets, trash, or rearranged insulation.
- Verify All Entry Points: Check the tension on your window locks. If a window rattles when locked, it can likely be jimmied open with a butter knife.
- Audit Your Keys: If you’ve lived in your house for more than five years and haven't rekeyed the locks, do it now. You have no idea how many "emergency" keys are floating around with former neighbors or contractors.
- Install Internal Cameras: Use cameras that have "person detection" and point them at the entrances to your basement or attic. Set your phone to alert you specifically for those zones during work hours.
- Listen to Your Instincts: If the house "feels" different, it probably is. Our brains pick up on micro-changes—the smell of a different laundry detergent, a chair that’s two inches to the left—long before our conscious minds process it.
The idea of a phrogging hider in my house is a violation of the one place we are supposed to feel safe. By taking control of the "dead spaces" in your home and using technology to monitor the quiet hours, you turn your house back into a fortress. It's about being proactive rather than reactive. If you find something, don't investigate it alone—get professional help and secure your perimeter. Your home belongs to you, and nobody else.