Apr 9, 2009 8:17 pm US/Eastern
Police Warn Of Home Invasion Scams
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (WBZ) ―
After another recent burglary in which criminals distracted homeowners while another robber took off with the goods, police are warning people to be extra cautious of uninvited solicitors.
A recent incident happened in Portsmouth, N.H. where a robber posed as a surveyor when he approached a home on Lafayette Road. While he distracted the elderly woman living in the house, an accomplice broke into the second level of the house and stole jewelry.
The robber posing as a surveyor is described as a clean shaven white man, about 50 years old with graying hair. He may have been driving a tan midsized sedan.
Police say the robbers came back to the same house two weeks later trying to get back into the house with a fake emergency story.
On Tuesday, an elderly couple in Holbrook, Mass. was the target of a similar scam in which a man posed as a water department employee while another man robbed the house.
Read:
Elderly Couple Targeted In Home Invasion Scam
Last week in Winchester, an elderly woman fell victim to a similar scam. In that case a man came to her door and pretended to be a worker offering to cut down trees in her backyard. While he distracted her in the backyard another robber went into the house and stole a safe filled with thousands of dollars.
Holbrook Selectman Rick McGaughey said the town has had an increase in break-ins when residents were home.
Read:
Brazen Scam Artists Target Elderly Couple
Police warn residents to beware of any person asking to come inside the house. They say burglars will sometimes claim to be a surveyor, city employee, salesperson or utility worker in order to gain access to the house.
Police say residents should never let anyone in their house even if the person shows identification if there is any doubt of the reasons they may be there.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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