Springtime brings a wave of homeowner rip-offs, scams, and home burglaries. This year, a group of white males are traveling around the Richmond area posing as salesmen for home improvement products. They are actually burglarizing the homes of local residents. Homeowners should be aware of the method these thieves use.
Two males will knock on the homeowner’s front door. When the owner opens the door, the pair immediately starts their sales pitch and, at the same time, begins to slowly, but surely, enter the residence. If the line of product is kitchen cabinets or tile flooring, the pair will suggest all move to the area of the kitchen. Once in the kitchen one of the salesmen will ask for a glass of water. The other salesman never enters the kitchen but goes directly to a bedroom taking whatever money, negotiable instruments, jewelry, and other valuables are visible.
Once the owner realizes the second salesman is not in the kitchen with the other, it is too late. The second salesman has already taken valuables and is headed out of the bedroom toward the front door. The homeowner exits the kitchen to see the second salesman going out the door and the first salesman is quick to follow. There is usually a third individual waiting outside in a running vehicle, which the first two enter, and all three are gone in a matter of seconds.
The entire burglary takes less than six minutes. If this kind of tactic is used, the homeowner should firmly refuse the salesmen entry into the residence.
Another form of burglary can occur when the homeowner is outside the home working in their yard. Usually doors are unlocked and the garage door is unlocked or open. A roving group of thieves are searching for this specific scenario. They will observe the situation for a minute or two to determine who is home. They will then strike by entering the residence through the garage or unlocked door and take whatever valuables are visible. This includes purses, wallets, jewelry, silver, car keys, house keys, TV, VCR, or stereo. They then leave as quickly as they entered. The burglary takes about two or three minutes.
The homeowner should close and lock any door or garage door when these doors are not in plain view of the homeowner. The tip off here can be a suspicious vehicle moving slowly through the neighborhood or an unfamiliar vehicle/van parked nearby with multiple occupants inside.
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