How To Prevent a 'Ruse' Burglary at Your Home

A team of ‘ruse’ burglars may be targeting elderly residents of Chicago’s north suburbs.

According to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the burglars will approach victims - often senior citizens - at their homes and claim to be utility workers, landscapers or new neighbors.

“One offender will lead victims to a backyard or another part of the house to distract them while other offenders enter the homes and take cash and valuables,” according to a community alert released this week by Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart.

The most recent incident, on Nov. 29 in the 1000 block of Huber Lane in unincorporated Glenview, two men knocked on an 84-year-old woman’s door claiming to have been doing yard work for a neighbor. The woman allowed one of the men inside her home to give him a glass of water while the other man also entered the home. They were asked to leave, but the woman later noticed items were missing.

Two weeks prior in unincorporated Niles, a man knocked on a 77-year-old man’s door offering tree-trimming services. While the offender led the victim to the backyard, the man who offered the services was on the phone speaking in another language. The next day, the victim noticed cash missing from his home.

Similar incidents have been reported in unincorporated areas of Palatine and Roselle.

Dart is urging suburban Cook County residents to take precautions to prevent these types of incidents. Here are a few reminders:

• Do not let anyone you are not expecting into your home.
• When someone you don’t know knocks on the door, talk through the door, do not open it.
• If the person claims to be with a utility company, call that agency to verify.
• Do not call the number the person at the door gives you.
• If you encounter anyone suspicious, call 911 immediately.

Dart asks anyone with information regarding any of the burglaries to call the Sheriff’s Police Investigation Section at 708-865-4896.