Warning!

June 6, 2011 - Warning! Ruse Burglary is on the rise.  In this type of crime, the offender may pose as a public utility employee, a roofer, or other service provider and claim they need access to the victim's residence or back yard to inspect their water, gas or cable components, recent work done, etc.  The offender will then direct the victim to an area of the residence away from where valuables may be stored, or to come outside of their residence to look at something in their yard while their home is entered by others and burglarized.  This allows his or her accomplice(s) to enter these areas undetected and gather as many items as possible. 

These incidents have been reported in Buffalo Grove, Lake Zurich , Grayslake, Mundelein, Lincolnshire and more.  Incidents have been increasing in the last 6 months.  Some of the ruses include: telling the victim they were from the Village and were there to do work on the stoop; saying they were there to fix a fence or build a fence on a neighboring property; telling the victim there was damage to their roof (in the back of the residence, of course).  In most of the cases, the suspects are described as male Hispanic(s), but other cases involve female suspects (and nationality is not always easy to determine).  Most of the suspects have communicated via cell phones. 

Please, do not allow strangers to come into your home or to distract you away from your unlocked front door.  Call the police immediately and try to provide a description of the suspect(s) and a vehicle.  But most importantly, remain safe!