Nutley Burglary: Victim Scammed By ‘Water Department Worker'

NUTLEY, NJ — Nutley police have issued a warning about an alleged diversionary burglary involving a man who claimed to be from the water department, authorities said Friday.

According to the Nutley Police Department, a man in a dark jacket and red-hooded sweatshirt scammed a Union Avenue homeowner around 1 p.m. on Jan. 6. The victim told officers that the man wore credentials around his neck that identified him as a water department employee.

The suspect told the resident that emergency responders took one of their neighbors to a hospital due to “contaminated water” and that he needed to check the water in her basement.

While the suspect entered the basement, three other suspects allegedly entered the home and stole an undisclosed amount of money from the master bedroom, police said.

When one of the victim’s family members arrived on the scene, the four suspects jumped over a fence in the rear yard and ran from the home towards Park Avenue, police stated.

Nutley Police Chief Thomas Strumolo warned residents that the scam is a common one, and that though the storyline changes, the motive is always the same.

“They enter your home, distract you by running water while accomplices burglarize the master bedroom,” Strumolo stated.

Nutley police urged residents never to allow anyone in their home without verification. Anything out of the ordinary can be checked by calling the police, authorities said.

Anyone with information about the above incident can contact police at 973-284-4940.

In October of 2015, The Today Show conducted an investigative piece on diversionary burglary in town, with a reporter – posing as a public safety worker - attempting to talk his way into several homes.

• See related article: Today Show Conducts Undercover 'Diversionary Burglary' Probes In Nutley
• See related article: Nutley Resident Gets 'Suspicous' Visit From Alleged Meat Salesman