Distraction burglary involves criminals, often labelled 'bogus callers', distracting or tricking individuals into letting them access their property with the intention of committing a burglary.
Offenders will use a range of excuses to gain access to people’s property, from pretending they are from utility companies such as the water board, or tricking the resident into believing they are looking for a pet.
Those who commit distraction burglary tend to target elderly and vulnerable people with the average age of victims in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight being 80. Predominately, more women are targeted than men. The eldest victim of this sort of crime was a 98-year-old from Alton and the youngest was a 20-year-old from Aldershot.
Burglars can fool you into thinking they are genuine callers. Don't be the one who invites them in. If in doubt, keep them out!
- Stop – are you expecting anyone to call on you? Do you know the person at the door? Don’t be misled by what appear to be genuine reasons for calling on you.
- Check – A genuine caller will carry identification and will be happy to wait outside while you check it. Remember to source your own number for the company they are claiming to be from, don’t accept a number from the caller.
- Chain – fit a door chain or spy hole so that you can speak to callers or check who they are without opening the door fully.
In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight distraction burglaries only account for 7.1 per cent of all burglaries, so these crimes are relatively rare. However, it is not the number of incidents that are our greatest concern; it is the impact it can have on the victim. This sort of crime is extremely impactive and can have a huge effect on those that fall victim to it.
