Ruse Burglaries Expand Across US to California

As I’ve written before, ruse burglaries start out with a deception and a distraction, and often end in significant losses for the unwary homeowner. In this news story from San Leandro, California, the homeowner experienced a significant loss of property – and a sense of violation. And in this case is that the burglar didn’t just pretend to be a handyman looking for work, but posed as a construction worker. Clever…

Investigators have issued a warning about letting unknown people into homes and yards after a man posing as a construction worker acted as a suspected decoy in a home burglary, police said. Police said a man came to a woman's front door in the 2100 block of Pacific Avenue about 1 p.m. Monday and told her he was working on a neighboring property and may have damaged water pipes leading to her property. The man and the homeowner went to the backyard to check for potential leaks. They found none and the man left. When the woman returned inside she realized her house had been burglarized, most likely by the man's accomplice, said Lt. Randall Brandt.

Classic Ruse Approach: Pretense & Accomplice

Typically what happens in a ruse burglary is that one of two individuals come to the door and tell the resident they work for the utility company, cable company or a landscaping business and need to do work in the backyard. While the homeowner is distracted, another individual will enter the home looking for valuables, notably jewelry or cash. Here’s another cautionary tale – this time from Long Beach, California, where the burglars acted as utility workers.

The Long Beach Police Department is alerting residents to reports of brazen persons who are going door to door in neighborhoods citywide impersonating city utility workers in an attempt to gain entry into houses and commit burglary. "In this scam, the bogus workers are apparently targeting homes to burglarize when no one is expected to be home, or working as a team to distract the occupant and burglarize the home," LBPD said in a press release encouraging residents to be aware of what is being called a "utility worker scam."

How They Operate

Though it is unclear how many incidents have occurred in this manner, Officer Juan Reyes of the North Patrol Division said that it has been common enough to raise alarm. He noted several reports where suspects wearing vests similar to the ones used by City utility workers knocked on doors and if no one was home, they then looked through windows and went into the backyard in an attempt to break in. If a resident answered the door, Reyes says that the suspects has prepared a ruse saying they were doing inspections and needed to come into the house. In one instance, the suspect was audacious enough to ask to use the restroom. In another, one suspect took the resident into the backyard while an accomplice burglarized the home.

What You Can Do

Police say there are several ways for residents to confirm whether or not they are interacting with a real City employee including: asking the person in question to show a City-issued identification card; verifying that the uniform is a City-specific one; or contacting Long Beach Gas and Oil or Long Beach Water Department to verify the legitimacy of the employee or work requested to be performed. "This has been a cause for concern, especially in the North Division where property crime has gone up in the last few years," said Officer Reyes at a North Long Beach Community Action Group meeting on Sunday. "The good thing is that we have been getting more calls for suspicious activity lately, which is great because that means we have prevented more break-ins."

Being savvy to how burglars operate is more important than ever – and while protecting against the ruse may not be one of FrontPoint’s Top 10 Home Security Tips, it’s still a good tactic to know. Anything that increases your safety, security, and peace of mind is important to us. We’re the leader in wireless home security, and the #1 ranked alarm company in the US – and we earned that spot with technology, pricing, and customer satisfaction that leaves the others far behind. These days, you even have to worry about some of the alarm salesmen coming to your door! That’s why smart shoppers choose FrontPoint – just read the reviews, and you’ll want a FrontPoint wireless home alarm system, too.