Ruse Burglar Foiled By Alert Homeowner: Bolingbrook Police

BOLINGBROOK, IL — An attempted ruse burglary was reported in Bolingbrook, police said in a community alert. At 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, a man in a gold SUV pulled into the driveway of a local home and attempted to get the homeowner to go to the back of the house under the guise of performing landscaping work, according to police.

The homeowner did not allow the man access to the home, and he left in the vehicle, police said. The car was a gold Chevrolet SUV, possibly an Equinox, with tinted windows and possibly a tinted front windshield and no front plate, police said. The car may have had an out of state rear plate.

Bolingbrook Police are urging citizens to be on the lookout for this and other types of ruse burglary scams. According to police, offenders will typically work in pairs, and will pose as utility workers, village employees or contractors. One offender will approach the homeowner and attempt to distract them in the rear of the house or an isolated room, while their partner enters the residence and commits a burglary, police said.

Older adults are typically targeted in these types of crimes, police said. Common story lines used by offenders including telling the homeowner there is an electrical or plumbing issues that needs to be inspected, offering siding, roof or gutter repair, a sales pitch for driveway sealing services, or offers for fence repair or landscaping, according to police.

Bolingbrook Police also offered advice for how residents can protect themselves, including:

• Never allow anyone inside your home without a scheduled appointment
• Do not exit your home with an unscheduled salesperson or service representative
• Demand to see proper identification from any utility worker or village employee
• Pay attention to what people are driving. Employees from ComEd, AT&T, Illinois American Water and the Village of Bolingbrook should all be in officially marked vehicles.
• Keep your doors locked while working in the yard
• Educate your friends and relatives and keep an eye on the elderly in your life

Anyone with information in regard to the above incident can remain anonymous and contact the Bolingbrook Police Department Investigations Division at 630-226-8620, Crime Stoppers at 630-378-4772 or the download the P3 Community App. Callers can also submit a web tip at bolingrookcrimestoppers.org. Callers to Crime Stoppers may remain anonymous.