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Beating the bogus caller
Who’s that at your front door?
Don’t allow strangers into your
home unless you are sure of
their official identification
It’s a familiar story – an elderly
resident of Canonbury Road who lives
alone opened her door to a bogus
caller pretending to be from the
water board. He said something about
needing access because there was a
burst pipe in the street, briefly flashed
an official-looking badge, and
understandably she let him in. Later
that evening she discovered her purse
and jewellery box were gone.
Burglaries involving confidence tricksters
conning their way into people’s homes and
Crime prevention expert PC
Adam Lindsay says
✔ put the door bar or chain on the
door in case someone tries to
pressure you into opening the
door
✔ don’t be fooled by official-looking
overalls or identity cards
✔ check anyone’s details before
letting them in. Look up the
number of their company in the
phone book or on a recent bill –
don’t just check it on the card
they have given you
✔ tell them to wait while you call the
company to check that their
officials are in the area
✔ bogus callers often say they need
help outside urgently or ask for a
glass of water. Only help if you
have someone else with you – if
you choose not to help, it is not
rude or unfriendly
✔ call 999 and report any suspicious
callers immediately – police would
rather be called to a false alarm
than someone was robbed
✔ try to keep in mind a good
description of the person and tell
someone or write it down
immediately
Stop, chain, check.
robbing them are a
problem. And it’s
usually the elderly who
are targeted because
they are more easily
confused – and often
willing to help.
Police Action
“We are tackling this particularly nasty crime
in a new, more pro-active way,” says
Detective Inspector Paul Whatmore who
is spearheading an initiative to make
catching these burglars a priority in the
local burglary squad.
“This involves closer working with both
victims and the utility companies whose
officials are usually impersonated.”
The new strategy centres centres on
improving the identification information given
by victims of crime. And making sure no one
disturbs the crime scene until police forensic
teams get there.
Older people remember
“Older people can often remember more than
they think, and we need to pursue their
evidence further with the help of
computerised images,” says DI Whatmore.
“Also forensic evidence is vital and if
neighbours and relatives come to help, they
must keep well clear of any rooms the
burglars have been in which must be left as
untouched and sterile as possible.”
Islington police also want to make it more
difficult for thieves to pretend to be on official
business by working with companies to
increase security measures.
“This is a particularly nasty deception
because it deliberately targets vulnerable
people who are more easily confused,”
says DI Whatmore. “They are often seen as
rich-pickings because they sometimes keep
valuables and cash in their homes but for
them the knock-on effects can be very
long-lasting.”
Official visitors should always arrange an
appointment beforehand – if you are alone
and not expecting a visitor, don’t be afraid to
ask them to call back later when someone is
with you.
✆
For
further crime
prevention advice, call
PC Adam Lindsay on
020 7421 0226
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