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June 14, 2005
They may say that their car has broken down and they need to
phone someone for help. They may pretend to be a workman, saying
that they need to check your electricity or water. They might
even claim to be from the council and that they are carrying out
a local survey. Whatever reason a caller gives, you need to be
sure that they aren't just trying to get into your home to steal
something.
There are around 12,000 incidents of "distraction burglary" each
year, where callers get into homes and then steal cash or
valuables while the occupier is distracted in some way.
Sometimes they work in pairs, with one doing the talking while
the other is stealing and they often target the elderly.
Be on your guard every time the doorbell rings, or there's a
knock at your door. Look out of your window to see who's there
first and if you don't know who the person is, open the window
slightly and talk to them that way, rather than opening your
door.
Alternatively, have a viewer fitted in your front door so that
you can take a good look at who's there first. If your eyesight
isn't so good, don't worry as you can now get wide-angle viewers
to help you see better.
Put the door chain or door bar on before opening the door and
talk through the gap. You could even fit a small mirror to the
wall next to the door so that you can easily see the person you
are talking to. When the caller has left and you've closed the
door, don't forget to unhook the chain so that any friend or
relative you have given a key to can still get in.
Make sure your back door is locked if someone knocks at your
front door. Sometimes thieves work together with one coming in
the back way, while the other keeps you talking at the front.
Keeping the chain on the door, ask callers from the council or
any other organization to pass through some identification. If
you need your glasses to check this don't think it's rude to
close the door and go and get them. A genuine caller won't mind.
If you're still not sure, ask the caller to leave and tell them
to write and make an appointment so that someone else can be
with you the next time they call. The basic rule is if you don't
know the person at your door don't let them in.
As part of the Government's "Stop, Chain, Check" campaign, local
councils, social services and Age Concern centers have further
information they can provide to older people. They can also help
with door viewers, chains and mirrors, and in certain
circumstances, may be able to supply a personal attack alarm
that connects through to a control center.
Never take your safety for granted. Criminals won't hesitate to
take advantage of your generosity by pretending to need to use
your telephone.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Carraway is the owner of
http://www.buy-stun-gun.com, which specializes in Stun
Master 775,000 volt stun guns and offers a free crime prevention
tips newsletter.
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