The following is a transcript of a report by Call 4 Action reporter Aaron Saykin that first aired Nov. 28, 2006, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m. It re-aired Dec. 25, 2006, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m.

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It's a lightning-fast method anyone can learn in minutes. An old trade secret is seeing a bit of a revival with crooks who are starting to use it -- and their targets are homeowners.

A good locksmith knows dozens of old tricks to unlock a door, but what if one of those tricks fell into the wrong hands?

It appears one of them has, and it's not good news for homeowners.

Just how easy is it for anyone to break into your home?

With "lock bumping," a popular burglary method in Europe, it's too easy.

The method appears to be catching on in some parts of the U.S., as proven by our sister station in Orlando, which found apparent victims all across Florida.

"I couldn't believe that somebody could just be able to walk right in here like nothing was happening," said victim Mike Kuftic, of Florida. "And nobody knew it was happening."

How does it work?

Without getting too specific, lock bumping relies on something called a bump key, which looks like any other old key, but its teeth are carefully grounded down.

"It came to the United States in the late '60s , early '70s , but nobody really knew about it," said locksmith Todd Fulton. "Locksmiths wanted to keep it secret, so their competitors wouldn't get ahold of the knowledge and, you know, kind of put them out of work, so to speak."

Lock bumping tutorials are all over the Internet now, and Call 4 Action even bought a complete set of the special bump keys online, keys that can work on everything from homes to mailboxes to padlocks.

Call 4 Action gave them to a local amatuer lock-picker who preferred not show his face to try them out. He worked the keys on the first try. It didn't take him long to get the hang of it.

"It is actually one of the easiest methods that I've managed to pick up in the art of lock-picking," he said.

Saykin: "How long did it take you to pick it up?"

Lockpicker: "About 20 minutes."

Reporter: "Didn't need any kind of special training, any kind of expertise to pick this up?"

Lockpicker: "Not at all. The Internet would suffice. Ten minutes of surfing will make you an expert in 20 minutes."

As he tested the method, local security expert Istvan Balogh watched.

"This is a serious threat," said Balogh.

Saykin: "Have you ever seen anybody get through the door that quickly with another method?"

Balogh: "Kicking it down."

Experts said the scariest part is that this technique specifically opens pin tumbler locks, the locks used in most American homes.

Fulton said he thinks the keys would work on about 99 percent of homes.

Since purchasing the keys, Saykin, who has been trying for weeks, still has not gotten the hang of them, he said.

Experts said for thieves, there's one other major drawback, and that's that it is not entirely a quiet method.

But for potential burglars who learn to use it effectively, they come and go without a single trace that someone had broken in.

"And the problem with this is if an individual claimed his Rolex was stolen, he had $10,000 in his home, and he had other valuables, and he calls the insurance company, there's an issue," said Balogh. "There's no forced entry."

Although Balogh feels local homeowners should not yet be alarmed, he and other experts recommend some easy ways to protect your home from bumping.

Spraying WD-40 into your locks makes them more difficult to bump.

Buying modern and more expensive locks like electronic or code locks also work, as do side-bar locks.

Also, you might also consider an alarm system.

So far, no local law enforcement agencies Call 4 Action checked with have seen evidence of burglars using lock bumping in western Pennsylvania.

Our security expert also said he has not seen it here as of yet. However, he made a point of emphasizing the "as of yet," because of how prevalent the teaching of the technique has become online.