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Burglary RobberyBurglary Prevention Tips01/08 - (UK) - THAME Police are appealing for information and urging the public to be vigilant after a distraction burglary in Thame. At about 5.15pm two men, claiming to be from the water board, went to a property in Rooks Lane. They said that they needed to get in and turn off the water because a neighbour was having problems with their water. One man stayed with the occupier, a woman, while the other man went into the house. The man who was with the woman asked her if she had for a £10 note and when she said that she didn’t have any change he snatched her purse and took £50 in cash out. The men left the property, stealing the cash and a silver-coloured torch.” One of the burglars is described as white with an Irish accent. He is 5ft 6ins medium build and was wearing a long coat. On the same day, between 3.45pm and 4.15pm a man went to the door or a property in Pearce Court in Thame and said that the flat upstairs was leaking water. He asked if he could come in to the kitchen. The occupier let him in and then heard a noise from her living room. A second man came from the living room and said that there was no leak. One of the men is white, about 5ft 9ins, slim with an Irish accent. He was aged in his twenties. The second man is slightly bigger, with darker skin and dark hair. Det Con Georgina Bradley said: “We are linking these incidents as they both happened in the close vicinity to each other. I am appealing for information from anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area. This type of burglary is particularly nasty and can leave the victim distressed and we are keen to catch the offenders. “There is no reason why a stranger should ever come into your home. All agencies or utility companies should make an appointment and also use a password system. It is important to know that there is no such thing as the ‘water board’. “I would urge anyone with elderly or vulnerable relatives, neighbours or carers to check their home security and alert them to the dangers of opening the door to a stranger. “Distraction burglars prey on the elderly and vulnerable. If you see people calling at houses and are suspicious of their intentions, I would urge you to contact police immediately.” Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Det Con Bradley at Thame police station via 0845 8 505 505, or if you don’t want to talk to the police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111. Lesley Nesbitt, Crime Reduction Advisor, would like to offer the following advice to Thame residents: LOCKED - If someone knocks on your door and you are not expecting them before you go to your front door make sure your rear door is secure. STOP – If someone knocks at your door stop and think, “Am I expecting someone?” Look through your spy hole or through a window to see who is at your door. CHAIN – Put your door chain on before opening the door. CHECK – Ask for the callers Identification and check this by phone. (ThameNews.net) Home Burglary Dupes Pensioners01/08 - (UK) - Bogus callers tricked an elderly man and a woman out of cash in separate raids on the same day. A woman claiming to be a council worker talked her way into an 80-year-old woman's home in Gooding Avenue, Braunstone, at 10.30am on Wednesday. The suspect, who was carrying a clipboard, was let in by the woman and then searched the property, claiming she needed to check it. After she left, the victim noticed cash, a silver watch and a brown leather purse were missing. The burglar was white with tanned skin, aged 30 to 40 and about 5ft 4in tall. She wore a brown coat. The second distraction burglary happened at about 1.30pm in Caldecott, near Uppingham. A man knocked on the 85-year-old male victim's door, got chatting to him and was invited in. He left when a neighbour came round, having stolen money from the victim's wallet. The suspect was white, about 50, with dark hair and a bald patch. He was 5ft 10ins tall and clean shaven. (thisisleicestershire.co.uk) Residential Burglary by Bogus Callers01/08 - (UK) - WILTSHIRE Police are investigating a distraction burglary at the home of an elderly woman in Patney near Devizes. Money was stolen during the con which took place today at about 1pm. A man called at the woman's home to say he was running some pipes to a sewer and asked her to go outside to show him where her pipes were. She then found a second man inside her house and she discovered money had been stolen. Police have not disclosed how much money was stolen. They have issued descriptions of the men. The man who spoke to the woman was 5ft 10inches tall, clean shaven, aged between 30 and 40 and wearing a blue/green jacket. His accomplice was shorter and wearing a navy blue jacket and a navy blue knitted hat. Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 0845 408 7000. The police advise householders not to open the door to any unknown callers and if suspicious to call 999. (thisiswiltshire.co.uk) Burglary Police Issue Warning01/08 - (UK) - Police are appealing for witnesses after a distraction burglary in Shepshed. The incident happened between 9.30am and 11.30am on Thursday, January 10 in Kirkhill, when the 75-year-old victim answered her back door to a man claiming to be from the water board. He entered the house and asked the victim to empty the cupboard under the kitchen sink. While she was doing this it is believed a second man entered the house and carried out a search of the property. A short while later the victim noticed her handbag, purse and cash had gone missing. The man who knocked on her door is described as around 5'5" tall, in his 30s and was wearing a khaki coat. PC Philip Martindale from Shepshed local policing unit said: "Although the victim was not hurt she has been left shocked and distressed by the incident. "We would appeal to anyone who was in the area who saw a man matching this description acting suspiciously to get in touch. "I would also like to speak to anyone who was visited in similar circumstances. Any information could help us with our enquiries. "The victim did not report this incident to us straight away and it was a neighbour who urged her to contact us. It's really important that anyone who is a victim of this type of crime gets in contact with us. "We also need to hear from you if you've had any suspicious callers. Even the smallest pieces of information can help us find the people responsible and prevent other people becoming victims so it's really important that you get in touch." Anyone with any information is asked to contact PC 1799 Philip Martindale on 0116 222 2222, follow the instructions to leave a message for a police officer and when prompted key in the officer's identification number 1799. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers, which is free and anonymous on 0800 555 111. (leics.police.uk) Police Comment on Burglary Crime Sentence01/08 - (UK) - Officers from the Telford Police Burglary Unit in have given their reaction following the sentencing of Wayne Titley on Friday 25 January. At a hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court, Titley pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary and was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. The hearing dated back to a distraction burglary that occurred on 27th April 2007 at sheltered accommodation on Chockleys Meadow in Leegomery. Detective Sergeant Dave Pankhurst said: "This was a 'classic' distraction burglary - one of the most heartless and despicable crimes that an individual can commit. "We are certain the victim, an 83-year-old man, was targeted because of his age and vulnerability and we believe Titley actually attended the address in question on three separate occasions before finally gaining entry. "Once inside the address, the victim was distracted in the kitchen while Titley pretended he needed to use the toilet before carrying out a search of the living room. "Titley's search led to him stealing a wallet and £60 in cash from the victim before calmly leaving the scene of his crime. "To the victim of this burglary it represented a large sum of money. He was also extremely shaken by his traumatic experience and has been concerned about the possibility of the offender returning ever since. We are pleased the victim can now relax in the knowledge that Titley is serving a prison sentence. "We also hope this prosecution demonstrates that we take crimes such as this extremely seriously and that we will do everything within our powers to ensure that offenders are brought to justice. "I would like to take this opportunity to once again remind the public that they should be wary of anyone who knocks on their door asking to use the phone, the toilet or wanting a glass of water. They should ask themselves - 'Why have they knocked on my door?' "In many cases a good-natured and kind response to such requests for help results in someone becoming a victim of crime themselves. Remember our motto "If in doubt, keep em out!" and contact the Police." West Mercia Constabulary's Knock-Knock campaign calls on everyone to help tackle these distressing crimes and offers crime prevention advice to advise people about what they can do to make their lives more secure. Residents, especially elderly or vulnerable people, are reminded to exercise extreme caution when opening the door to someone they do not know. For example, callers from utility companies will carry an identification badge that should be carefully checked, and genuine callers will not mind waiting outside while checks are made with the organisation they claim to represent. Members of the local community can help by:
For further information about preventing distraction burglaries and other crime prevention advice please visit the force website www.westmercia.police.uk House Burglary Crooks Pose as Police01/08 - (UK) - Conmen targeted an elderly man in his Swansea Valley home by posing as security officers and telling him they had come to check for fingerprints after a burglary.They stole cash from a wallet after the 83-year-old victim found the two strangers standing in his Clydach kitchen. Police say they are appalled at the incident and have appealed for help in finding the brazen burglars. Detective Inspector Simon Davies, from Swansea North CID, said: "We are very concerned that they targeted an elderly victim in this way." The homeowner found the two men in the kitchen of his Capel Road house at around 6.40pm on Thursday evening - they had apparently got in to the property through a back door. They told him there had been a burglary and that they had come to check for fingerprints. One of the men then talked to the victim while his accomplice searched the house, taking cash from a wallet in a bedroom. The two men then fled. Police have issued descriptions of two men they want to question about the distraction burglary. The first man is described as a white male aged between 25 and 35, of slim build and around 5ft 8in. He was wearing a black jacket and black hooded top. The second man, who was wearing a light coloured hooded top, is 5ft 7in and aged around 35. Mr Davies appealed for help in tracing the burglars. "We are anxious to find these two men," he said. "If anybody has any information about what happened, or was in the area at the time and saw anything suspicious, I would ask them to contact police." Can you help? Call Swansea North CID on 01792 456999, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. (thisissouthwales.co.uk) Burglary Theft Con Artist Sent to Jail01/08 - (UK) - A NORTHOLT burglar hooked on heroin who preyed on elderly and frail people has been jailed for nine months. Kara Booth, of Lilian Borde Way, Northolt, tricked her way into elderly people's homes by pretending to be a charity worker or saying she was conducting a police survey. When inside her victims' houses, 22-year-old Booth raided their handbags and wallets, stealing hundreds of pounds. She appeared at Isleworth Crown Court yesterday (Friday, January 18), and admitted four charges of distraction burglary, with another 11 similar offences were taken into consideration. In November last year, she went on a burglary spree, including raids on two homes in Church Road, Hanwell. Prosecutor Douglas Adams told the court she got into the houses "by claiming to be a charity worker or, sometimes, doing a police survey. Once inside, the occupants would give her some small change and then discover, when she left, that she had raided handbags and purses for cash and credit cards". Booth, who had been addicted to heroin but quit while in prison on remand, confessed to a string of burglaries when caught by police. Jailing her, Recorder John Hobson QC said: "You have been preying mostly on the elderly and vulnerable people in order to steal from them to finance your drug habit. "While I am certainly sympathetic to your circumstances, only a custodial sentence can be justified. "I hope you will use the opportunities available in there to continue to clear yourself of drugs and to gain some sort of skill". Booth sobbed uncontrollably as she was jailed for nine months yesterday (Friday, January 18) at Isleworth Crown Court. (Harrow Times) Home Security Tips to Avoid Distraction Burglary01/08 - (UK) - POLICE are hunting a man with a “large mouth” and another with “eyebrows which point upwards” following a distraction burglary. The incident happened on Britannia Road, Ipswich, between 4.30pm and 5pm. An 82-year-old woman saw two men in her neighbour's garden and then moments later saw a man in her conservatory. The man said that his dog had chased an injured cat in to her garden. Both occupants of the house helped him look for the cat leaving the house unoccupied. On returning to the house, the occupants located two other men who made off with a quantity of cash. The first man is described as white, aged mid 20s, 5'6” to 5'8” tall, medium build, with short fair hair and clean shaven. He was wearing a three-quarter-length light coloured thin shower proof style coat and dark trousers. He was further described as very tidy and respectable looking. The second man is described as white, about 20-years-old, 5'8” tall, slim build, with collar length dark wavy untidy hair and unshaven. He was wearing a long sleeved black/white stripy thick sweater. He was also described as scruffy with a thin face and eyebrows that pointed upwards. The third man is described as white, about 30-years-old, medium build, with dark wavy untidy hair and a deep rough voice. He was wearing a dark sweater and dark trousers. He was also described as scruffy and having a large mouth. Anyone with information should contact Dc James Booth at Ipswich CID on 01473 613500 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. (eadt.co.uk) Report Burglary by Bogus Utility Workers01/08 - (UK) - POLICE are again reminding residents not to let strangers into their home following another incident of a vulnerable woman being targeted by bogus 'water board' workers. At about 2.15pm today, a man knocked on the door of a house in Lydney. The resident, who is in her 80s, let him in after he told her he needed to check the property following a water main burst. When he had gone, she found a quantity of cash was missing. The offender is white, about 6ft tall and of large build. He was dressed in a deer stalker-style hat and black clothing. Today's distraction burglary follows two other incidents this week. At about 4.30pm on Tuesday, January 15, a man called at a home in Stonehouse claiming to be from the council. He told the resident, a woman in her eighties, that he needed to come in to check the water supply. After being shown an ID card, she let him in. Shortly after he had gone she discovered a small amount of cash was missing from her home. On Monday, about £700 cash was stolen from another woman in her eighties after she let two men pretending to be police officers checking for flood contamination into her home in the Robinswood area of Gloucester. Superintendent Geoff Brookes said: "These offenders are despicable but cunning and confident individuals. Residents must be robust in confirming their details with the authority they claim to represent before letting them into their homes. "Use a number from the phone book to do this rather than one the caller might give you as this could simply put you through to an accomplice. "Don't worry if it takes a little while to find the number. Any bona fide caller will understand your concerns and be happy to wait or come back." If you have information which could help officers trace the man involved in the Lydney crime, please call police on 0845 090 1234, quoting incident number 289 of January 17 as soon as possible. Or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. (thisisgloucestershire.co.uk) Signs to Ward Off Unwanted Cold Callers03/08 - (UK) - Blackpool Council, through the BSafe Blackpool partnership, is lending its full support to an initiative which will mark Blackpool as the second largest participant in the scheme nationwide. In the next few weeks all 70,000 residents the resort will receive a No Cold Caller Information Pack' through their door that will give them everything they need to know in order to say "NO" to cold callers. The packs have been produced by the Blackpool Residents Federation, the council's Trading Standards Team and Blackpool Police to help reduce the chances of falling victim to doorstep or distraction crime. Doorstep Crime' is crime arising from doorstep callers, bogus workmen, high pressure salespeople, bogus officials and distraction burglary. It is now well established that distraction burglaries and rogue trading are interlinked - all too often, the seemingly innocent doorstep seller is actually checking things out for a re-visit to carry out a burglary or distraction crime, according to police. A national Trading Standards Institute survey involved feedback from 9,000 randomly selected households. The results showed that nationally, 96 per cent of people simply did not want doorstep cold-callers and nobody actually welcomed them. In response to the growing concerns about this form of crime the Blackpool Residents Federation worked tirelessly to source funding from area forums, Trading Standards, Police, Bsafe Partnership, Primary Care Trust and a local councillor to create the 'No Cold Caller Zone' as a pilot in Marton in January last year. Bruce Allen, chairman of the Blackpool Residents' Federation, said: "Gone are the days when doors could be left open and salespeople were invited in for a cup of tea. "The people of Blackpool are being plagued by cold callers offering products and services that are below standard. "Other callers are forceful and aggressive and others are completely bogus. "We had to take a stand and make these people realize that they are not welcome and should stay away. "The Marton pilot was a great success; it is not always easy to say no to people once they have a foot in your door. "I must say I was very pleased with how companies that use cold calling respected our wishes and stayed away." After the success of the pilot and thanks to a huge number of requests from other residents, the scheme is now ready to be extended across the whole of Blackpool, making it the second largest No Cold Caller Zone' in the country. Every residential property in Blackpool will receive a No Cold Caller Pack that will include a window sticker and booklet of information and advice. The scheme will be highlighted by strategically placed Road Signs on every road entering Blackpool, which will inform travelling businesses that they are not welcome in Blackpool. For those who don't want to be hassled by high pressure salesmen or shady rogue traders the scheme is backed up with an enforcement response from Trading Standards. Where appropriate, Trading Standards officers and the police will attend the scene and intervene on the consumer's behalf. PC Andy Denton, Western Division Crime Prevention Officer, said: "The creation of this zone will go a long way to reducing the number of crimes committed against property and the more vulnerable members of our community. "It will increase reassurance and the quality of life for all Blackpool residents. "I would urge anyone becoming aware of people breaching the zone to report it to Consumer Direct as soon as possible so that appropriate action can be taken." However, the scheme is not targeted towards Direct Sales Association companies such as Avon, Betterware etc who operate within their OFT backed Code of Practice. While the utility companies and charitable organisations continue to use unsolicited calling, the council is asking them to respect the resident's wishes and not to call. Councillor Tony Williams, chairman for BSafe Blackpool, adds: "There may be some worries that the scheme will prevent legitimate companies from approaching homes and therefore be a problem for them. "This is not the case at all and we would be happy to return to the days when salespeople were welcomed. "However this will only happen if they stick to the rules and remain respectful of homeowner's wishes. "They will achieve more by being friendly and if they see a sign on a door asking them not to visit they can save themselves time and move on. "This scheme is a preventative measure to protect our residents from the threat of rogue traders or intrepid burglars." If you have received an unsolicited visit from a doorstep caller and are displaying a No Cold Caller' window sticker and you wish to report this contact Blackpool Trading Standards on 01253 478375 or Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 or online by clicking the link below. (blackpoolcitizen.co.uk) Home Robbery Scam Uses Snakes as Distraction for Burglary09/08 - (Florida) - Pinellas County sheriff's detectives are investigating a twist on an old robbery scam, this one involving thieves claiming they were hired to remove poisonous snakes from a homeowner's property. Items are taken once the thieves gain access to the home, the sheriff's office said. In past incidents, thieves told a story about checking for gas leaks, mold or termites. The most recent robbery occurred about 11 a.m. Wednesday at a Pasadena home, detectives said. One man knocked on the door and told the homeowner he was a "snake pest control man." Homeowner Marilyn Byrd, 80, told deputies that as the two were talking, the man sprayed her hand with what appeared to be snake poison he carried in a bottle. He said he had done it by accident and offered to treat her hand with warm water and milk. The man used a walkie-talkie to call a second man, and they both went inside with Byrd. One man helped Byrd put her hand in the milk and water and removed a ring from her finger, detectives said. The man told Byrd he was putting the ring in the refrigerator and that she needed to keep her hand in the milk solution for 10 minutes. While her hand was immersed in the solution, the second man searched the house, detectives said. Byrd told deputies the men left before she realized the ring was not in the refrigerator. Other valuables were missing, too. The first man is was 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-9, in his mid- to late 30s, with a thin to medium build and an olive complexion. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt. The woman could not provide a detailed description of the second man. These types of robberies typically occur in Pinellas County during the winter months and often target senior citizens, the sheriff's office said. The sheriff's office offers the following tips to avoid these scams: Never open the door for unexpected visitors. Never do business with people who you have not asked to come to your home. Verify the person's identity by asking for an ID. Check to see whether there is a vehicle associated with the visitor. Call the sheriff's office at (727) 582-6200 to report suspicious activity. Anyone with information on the snake control scam or any similar incidents can call Detective Curtis Skinner or Sgt. Charles Degenhardt at (727) 582-6200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477). (SunCoast News) Burglars Pretend to Be Tree Removal Workers During Home Theft01/08 - (New Jersey) - Two people posing as employees of a tree removal company managed to talk their way into a home in the 900 block of Bridgeton Pike and steal a credit card and $120 in cash, police said. Police said the couple told a 79-year-old woman resident at about 4 p.m. Thursday that they were hired to clear trees from the property behind hers so her neighbor could put up a fence, and said they would have to be doing some work on her property, as well, police said. The man said, "It sure is cold," then asked if he could use the victim's bathroom, said police. The female half of the scam team tried to keep the victim occupied signing some papers while the man used the bathroom. The man then said he'd get additional paperwork from the truck, but when he got to the white, unmarked pickup truck, called back to his female accomplice and said he was out of the proper forms, according to police. The female then told the victim they'd go get the proper paperwork and come back in about a half hour, police said. The victim was uneasy with the entire incident, looked around and discovered a credit card and an envelope containing $120 cash were missing. The victim reported the credit card stolen immediately, police said. Police learned that someone tried to use the credit card at 5:30 p.m. at a Target store in Philadelphia, but the card had already been canceled. The victim said the female was wearing an orange lace top, glasses and blue jeans, said police. The pickup truck might have had an extended cab. The neighbor behind the victim's house said he wasn't putting up a fence and had not hired a tree removal company. (nj.com) Water Board Burglars Distract Elderly Victim in Home Burglary03/08 - (UK) - An elderly person was burgled after being conned into letting bogus water board officials into their home. (eveningnews24.co.uk) Lister, Stuart C. and Wall, David S., "Deconstructing Distraction Burglary: An Ageist Offence?". - Research Paper (pdf)
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