While most burglars prefer to break in to homes while individuals are away from the home, that does not stop some people. A lot of people do not remember to use home security practices even while they re home. The following are excerpts from various news articles regarding home invasions that have happened while homeowners have been inside their homes. Almost all of these situations happened when home security measures were not taken ahead of time.
Unsuspecting Female Approach: An article in the Shreveport Times on March 3, 2006 shared this home invasion scam: Charlie Henry said some of the same intruders who invaded his home had stopped by a week ago to question him about where another person lived. Yesterday a woman came to the door alone asking for water. As soon as he let her in, the three men stormed into his house.
Reporter Scam: The New York Times shared the following sad story on November 15, 2007: Mark Schwab was sentenced to death for the murder of an 11-year-old boy. He’d seen the boy’s picture in the newspaper shortly after Schwab was released from prison on a sexual assault sentence. He gained the confidence of the family by claiming he was with the newspaper and was writing an article about the boy.
Police Scam: An Oprah Winfrey show demonstrated the lack of home security measures many people take, and how easily people fall for home security schemes. A male staff member wore a hidden camera on a business suit and knocked on Household Items That Kill Bugs 100 different homes pretending to be a police detective. When the door was opened he showed them a very fake police ID tag that was on ordinary paper and typed on a typewriter. Shockingly, every single door invited him inside.
Distraction Scam: In the United Kingdom, the Norwich Evening News reported a story using the distraction burglary technique. Over time you get to know the different ways that bogus callers work and they will try to panic victims, saying “there’s been a explosion down the road”, or “there’s a water leak and we’ve got to test the water… Because the “distraction burglary” happens so quickly the person doesn’t have the time to respond to the violent robberies at the homes.
Calling Your Name Scam: In Louisville in 2004, WAVE3-TV reported this home security scam: They knocked on my door and called out my Using Insecticides On Vegetables name. I wasn’t thinking anything about home security. I just unlocked the door. And that’s when they stuck a shotgun in my face.
Crying Child Technique: Another United Kingdom article from the Teeside Evening Gazette, from August 2004, shared this unconventional scam: Detectives are hunting a gang using a tearful boy and the tale of a lost hamster to breach the home security of pensioners. The cruel con involves the youngster knocking on victims’ doors then tearfully claiming his pet has wandered into their garden. While the householder helps the boy search for the phantom pet, the boy’s adult accomplice enters the property and rifles the house.
We do not share these with you to scare you, but just to make you aware how important it is to remember safety guidelines, even when the situation seems innocent enough. All of these schemes could have easily been avoided had security measures been taken to protect the home and the people inside it. Security scams take advantage of people who are unsuspecting and do not have the safety mindset at the time. In our next article we will share tips on how to prevent being taken advantage of by those trying to pull these types of scams on your or anyone in your family.
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