Homeowners Startle Fake Electrical Inspector In Midst Of Ruse Burglary

PALOS HEIGHTS, IL — Palos Heights police are warning resident about a wave of ruse burglaries that has been hitting the Chicago area targeted seniors. Residents are asked to be careful, use good judgement and to report anything suspicious.

Around 3:30 p.m. Dec. 9, Palos Heights were called to the 13100 of Westview Drive in the Oak Hills neighborhood for a ruse burglary. An elderly resident was approached in front of his home by a man who claimed to be a ComEd inspector. The man said he needed to check the resident’s “voltage” in their basement.

While inside the house, the man communicated by walkie-talkie to a second person in broken English, police said. The second person what found to have entered the house and was upstairs in the master bedroom. Both men were startled by the appearance of another household member and left suddenly in a small black Range Rover SUV with stolen plates. Police said the two left without taking anything.

The man who posed as the electrical inspector wore a hard hat with an ID card on a lanyard, police said.

Palos Heights police advise residents to keep their home locked, even when working in the yard or shoveling snow. Residents should never allow anyone in their home unless you know them personally or if you are expecting someone for a scheduled appointment. Any City of Palos Heights employee is going to call ahead of time for work completed. If you feel nervous or unsure about a worker, please call 708-448-5060 and police will come and verify.

Ruse burglaries have been proliferating throughout the Chicago area, with incidents reported on Chicago’s Northwest Side, New Trier Township, DuPage and Lake Counties. Many times the homeowner was home when the crimes occurred. Most of the scams involved water or electrical inspectors that were able to talk a senior into letting them inside their homes. An associate slipped in through another door and rummaged through bedrooms for jewelry and other items of sentimental value.

Palos Heights police advise residents to keep their home locked, even when working in the yard or shoveling snow. Residents should never allow anyone in their home unless you know them personally or if you are expecting someone for a scheduled appointment. Any City of Palos Heights employee is going to call ahead of time for work completed. If you feel nervous or unsure about a worker, please call 708-448-5060 and police will come and verify.