'Ruse' Burglaries On Rise Regionally: Hinsdale Police

HINSDALE, IL — In monitoring regional crime trends, Hinsdale police detectives have noticed a rise in "ruse"-style burglaries by professional con artists, according to a police Facebook post Wednesday. Such crimes have been increasing during stay-at-home orders, although Hinsdale has not recently experienced such schemes, police said.

According to Hinsdale police, a man will approach a home under the guise of doing emergency construction or working for a local utility. He may be talking on a radio or phone in a seemingly foreign language.

"The man will ask to come inside to check something out or will lure you outside to look at some pending danger around your property," police said. "The story will seem as though the situation is urgent, dire, and needs to be addressed now! His criminal partner (who may be out of sight), will slip into your home and raid it for valuables, such as cash, jewelry, or collectible coins. Before you know it, the men are gone."

Here are tips from the Hinsdale Police Department:

• Do not let any stranger into your home no matter how urgent or dire the presented situation seems.
• Ask construction or utility workers for official identification. If they resist, call 911 immediately.
• If you feel it safe or appropriate to exit your home to talk with them, lock all doors behind you.
• Gather as many details about their car as possible, including license plates and any markings.
• Video doorbells are devices that often scare away scammers and help police identify offenders.
• These criminals prey on the elderly. Share this with your older family and friends.
• Protect your neighbors. Don’t let them fall victim to these scamming predators.