Scrap dealers know exactly where the stuff comes from. They don’t care.
Some do care, but I expect they’re being driven out of business by those who don’t, since the obviously stolen metal is sold to willing dealers at a significant discount.
I asked a neighbor who was in his front yard if he also smelled something burning, to which he replied; “yeah, they cook their dinner over an outside fire these past few nights”.
Turns out a vacant house (IIRC it was a foreclosure) had some squatters move in. They sold every appliance, then stripped off the gutters, all the wiring, the entire A/C system, including ducts, the screen doors...everything of value and sold it for scrap metal and the open fire was being fueled by wood from cabinets and studs removed from inside the house.
And I do NOT live in a bad neighborhood!
Welcome to our future.