Phrogging is a real thing that has happened multiple times in the past and continues to this date. 

There have been several cases where an intruder was found living inside a home without notifying the occupants. 

During an interview with A&E TV, former Massachusetts detective Tom Lane talked about an eerie case of phrogging in the 1980s. In 1986, Daniel LaPlante, a 17-year-old from Townsend, Massachusetts, became obsessed with a girl named Tina Bowen. He eventually broke into her home and started living in a wall cavity. 

During his stay at the house, he regularly made strange noises, changed TV channels, and even drank leftover milk. This traumatized Tina and her sister for years. 

Daniel eventually lost his patience and took the Bowen family hostage with a hatchet. Fortunately, Tina succeeded in escaping and immediately notified the authorities.

Daniel initially fled the scene but returned a few days later when he was spotted by Tina's father and subsequently got arrested. While was out on bail, he killed a woman named Priscilla Gustafson and her two young kids after breaking into her home. He is now serving three consecutive life sentences.

Another popular case of phrogging took place in 2011 that involved an Ohio State University student named Jared Malvic. 

Jared was living on the second floor of an off-campus rental house with nine more people. A separate group lived on the first floor of the apartment. 

The people living in the house regularly experienced strange happenings like cupboards left open without explanation and missing food. It later turned out that another university student was secretly living inside a "utility closet" inside the basement of the apartment. Jeremy was discovered after he accidentally crossed paths with one of the housemates.

Jeremy revealed that he lived in the house with the permission of the old tenants. However, even after the former occupants moved out, he continued secretly living in the house.

Similarly, phrogging doesn't necessarily mean a stranger living in your house as there are a few cases where the phrog is a familiar face.

Kerry Lovallo, a detective from Connecticut, investigated a 2017 case where an estranged husband secretly lived in his wife's basement and tormented the woman and her child. After getting arrested, the husband revealed that he committed the acts so that his wife would take him back.

What Does Phrogging Mean?

Phrogging meaning simply refers to the act of living in another individual's home without prior knowledge of the owner or tenant.

According to Urban Dictionary, the person committing the act is called a phrog or phrogger. 

The term phrogging is derived from frogging or frog as the phroggers tend to hop around from one house to another. 

While phrogging has been a crime committed since the 20th century, it was relatively unknown until recently. The term became more popular with widely successful movies like Parasite and I See You following related themes. 

South Korean movie Parasite should be the most famous movie that centers around phrogging.

The 2019 Academy Award for Best Picture-winning film follows the Park family and their home where a man has been secretly living in the basement for years.