Items for sale here and on ebay without remotes....

I can easily see how someone would use a programmable remote and misplace the original remotes. Mine adjust lighting and such so in some applications they are a nice touch

OP,
"What makes you think that "many people lose or break their remotes"?"

I just think that it's more likely than the unit being stolen. I think you're worrying too much.

Seems to me, if the thief can't find the remote, it was probably already lost. 

Folks are stealing my remote around here all the time. Daily!

But seriously, thinking like a thief, if I am stealing, components hooked up, it's likely easy to find the remote pile, and I'm taking that too. OR, I think what happens a lot, the component is in a box or packaged ready, in which case, the remote is there with it. 

And come to think of it, I bet in actual reality, people maybe steal more remotes than equipment. 

So...no...I don't think missing remote is any indication of a component being stolen. 

  I had a burglary in 1987. The burglars must have been in a hurry and didn't bother to take the time to take apart an entire rack of McIntosh separate components. They did steal the remote control for my McIntosh MCD 7000 compact disk player. I bought a new remote from Mac for $100. Burglars also stole my McIntosh XR-16 loudspeakers  (which I never did like). With the insurance money I bought a new pair of Apogee Duetta II loudspeakers, which still sound glorious to this day.