An 80-year-old disabled Camberwell woman and her granddaughter were robbed of hundreds of pounds in cash, as well as jewellery, by men pretending to fix their water supply.
The woman, who did not want to be named, said she was sitting at her home on Elmington Estate on Wednesday, January 12, when she heard a banging at her door.
The woman, who is in a wheelchair, went to answer and a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes said he had come to look at her water supply. She let him in because she had previously had problems with leaks from above.
Unbeknownst to her, the man let an accomplice in who went upstairs to her granddaughter’s bedroom. The first man looked at the taps in the kitchen, turning them on and off while wearing gloves, which she thought was strange even at the time.
“All of a sudden I heard the bedroom door upstairs – I thought it was my granddaughter. I shouted out three times,” she told the News.
As the first man eventually turned to leave, his accomplice slipped out with him but not before the victim got a look at him – shorter, thinner and with mousy hair.
When the granddaughter got back, she saw that her purse had been robbed, and lots of jewellery had gone too, which was not insured. “He left a rotten smell up there too,” her grandmother said.
She had also lost money from her purse, meaning a total of £800 was gone. Sadly this was not the first time she had been robbed either, losing hundreds of pounds in an earlier incident several years ago.
The woman said that several other people on her estate had been targeted by the same men, with one household asked about a broken washing machine, and another about gas.
Because she sleeps on the ground floor, she says she is finding it hard to sleep, because every time she hears something in the night, it reminds her of the robbery.
She added that she wants to raise awareness of this issue and to warn other people to be more cautious, so they don’t suffer similar treatment.
A spokesperson for the police confirmed that the woman contacted them and that there had been no arrests so far.
They added that police think this could be linked to other robberies and are urging anyone who has any information to call 101 ref
3001049/22.
Police also gave some advice on ‘distraction burglars’, who pretend to be someone they are not in order to gain entry to your home.
Common methods used by distraction burglars include:
- Pretending to be from a care agency, the council or a utility company investigating a gas or water leak
- Seeking help to leave a note for a neighbour or even asking for a drink of water if they claim to be thirsty or unwell
- Claiming to be in a hurry or emergency and needing to get into your home quickly
- Working in teams, with one person distracting you while the other searches your home
How to prevent it
There are a number of things you can do to prevent distraction burglary. Always remember “if in doubt, keep them out”:
- Use your door viewer to see who’s there
- If you open the door put the chain on first
- Always ask for ID and check it with the company before letting somebody into your home
- Use the phone number advertised in the phone book or online, as the number on their identity card could be fake. For a utility company, call the customer service department. Close the door while you do this
- Remember that genuine callers won’t mind checks. If you feel at all unsure, schedule a time for the caller to come back when a friend or relative is there
- For pre-planned appointments with utility companies, a password scheme can be set up
- If you feel threatened or in danger by the presence of the caller, call 999