Don’t fall victim to a Distraction Burglary

The easiest and least expensive way to protect your home goes back to one of the first pieces of advice your parents gave you – don’t open the door to strangers.

Maybe you’ve heard of distraction burglaries before and maybe you haven’t. But it’s very important that you get yourself educated about this type of crime used by the lowest of the lowly perpetrators to gain entry into a home.

When a distraction or trick is used on the person answering the door to gain access to a home with the intention of committing burglary, that’s known as a Distraction Burglary and it’s happening more often than you would think.

The most likely victim of such a crime is usually a woman over the age of 78, living on her own. Often, the victim doesn’t even realize anything was stolen until well after the crime actually took place.

Imagine an unsuspecting elderly woman opening the door to someone she believes is a nurse, a gardener, utility personnel, delivery person or even a police officer who is actually a thief there to take advantage of her good nature.

These types of burglars are known as “bogus callers.” A legitimate caller should have some type of official-looking ID and any relevant paperwork you’d expect a professional to have with them.

Here are some very important tips concerning doorstep safety to keep in mind for yourself and also to pass along to your children and elderly family members or acquaintances.

• Ask why the person is at your door and if their story does not add up, close the door, lock it, and call the company they claim to represent.
• Ask for ID and paperwork. You should have your chain pulled across and ask them to pass the papers through to you before you unlock the door.
• When you’re answering the front door, make sure the back door is locked. These burglars often work in pairs and while the victim is busy at the front door, their accomplice is sneaking in the back.
• Don’t keep large sums of money in the house. Same goes for valuables. Investing in a small safe is a good idea.
• Keep all of your documents with personal information on them out of clear sight. Someone can get enough information about you from your passport, utility bills and bank statements to steal your identity.
• Never keep your keys on display. Keep them somewhere a thief would have to search hard for to find, but somewhere easy for you to remember where they are!
• When in doubt simply do not open the door.

If you think you have been victim of a distraction burglary, call the police as soon as possible.

In the meantime, if you live in Berkeley or a surrounding area, stop by our locksmith shop at 1908 University Avenue to look at the wide range of safes we have available. Our experts will help you decide which option is best for you.