BOSTON -- Team 5 Investigates special keys that are readily available on the Internet, that can be used to open nearly every lock in America.

NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill reported Thursday that bump keys are the latest way criminals in some parts of the United States are breaking into homes and barely leaving a trace.

Amy Canty, a local mother of two young girls, said feeling safe and secure at home is a top priority.

"It's everything. The most important thing to me is protecting them," she said.

But Canty wasn't too happy when Team 5 Investigates showed her a set of keys that showed up in the mail after we easily bought them online.

"That's very scary,” said Canty.

A bump key is an ordinary key ground in a way that allows it to open virtually any lock. It is suspected that thieves in central Florida used bump keys in a string of more than 50 burglaries. They were able to gain access to dozens of homes, steal everything, and barely leave a trace.

Team 5 Investigates found how-to videos all over the Internet.

It wouldn't be right for us to show you exactly what the bad guys do to these keys so they can get in so easily, but locksmiths say it's so simple, even a child could do it.

Locksmith John Shufro said the majority of locks are vulnerable to this technique.

"It took me 60 seconds to make this bump key out of a blank I had in the shop,” Shufro said.

"The method is, you would hit the key. It pushes the pins up, leaving a space between the bottom pin and the top pin. There's enough time in there for you to turn the cylinder. You saw how fast I did that. I hit it once and this key turned in this lock,” said Shufro.

So what can homeowners do to protect your home? There are certain locks available that are immune to bump keys. You should specifically ask that question.

Shufro offered other advice, such as positioning your door “so thieves can't break the glass and reach inside.” Also, store important papers in a safe inside your home so thieves can't get to valuable information.

So far, local law enforcement has not reported any problems with bump keys in our area, but that doesn't mean they aren't being used. In Florida, it took the talents of a forensic locksmith to determine this technique had actually been used in the break-ins.