Paramus Diversion Burglaries Prompt Warning From Prosecutor

PARAMUS, NJ — Authorities are warning residents about an increase in diversion burglaries throughout Bergen County in recent months, including two in the borough and one in Saddle Brook where thieves reportedly stole $5,000 from an elderly woman.

These diversion, or distraction burglaries, occur when a stranger posing as a utility worker gains access to a victim's home and gets them to take them to another part of the house, or outside so an accomplice can steal things like jewelry, money or valuables. Such burglars often target the elderly.

Diversion burglaries have occurred in Paramus (two incidents), Saddle Brook, Hasbrouck Heights, Garfield, Waldwick, Wood-Ridge, Palisades Park, Cliffside Park, Lyndhurst and North Arlington, said Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal.

A map of recent diversion burglaries in Bergen County./Bergen County Prosecutor's Office

A Saddle Brook grandmother had $5,000 stolen from her during a diversion scheme recently, police said. A man told the woman, who lived alone, he needed to check the gas utility lines in the basement. While he was making noise downstairs, someone else rummaged through the woman's home and stole the money, police said.

RELATED: Diversion Thieves Steal $5,000 From Bergen Grandmother: Police

Strangers will often pose as utility workers, town inspectors, handymen or a law enforcement official, Grewal said.

To reduce the risk of becoming a victim, Grewal suggests always asking for property identification from someone claiming to be a utility worker or town official, looking for vehicles with proper logos or telling the person you are going to call the respective company and local police department for verification.

If there are any suspicions about a person's purported identity, residents should contact their local police department immediately, Grewal said.

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