Hertfordshire Constabulary has a dedicated team of officers who investigate distraction burglary. Their work has helped to drastically reduce incidents across the county.
Distraction burglary means quite literally that a criminal will gain access to your property under false pretences and attempt to distract you while they or a colleague carry out a burglary.
Police advise never letting anyone you are not expecting into your home, whatever excuse they may give. If you are not sure, don’t open the door and call police if you feel the caller is suspicious. You can help prevent your neighbours from becoming victims.
Every resident should be alert to the possibility of being confronted with a distraction burglar, but unfortunately you are most at risk if you are elderly or vulnerable because of the perception you have large sums of money and valuable jewellery kept in the house.
Do not keep large quantities of cash at home, put it in the bank where it is safe.
If a stranger calls and you are not sure - don’t open the door.
If you are not expecting anyone and you don’t recognise them, don’t let them into your home. A genuine caller won’t mind coming back at a time when you can arrange to have somebody you trust with you.
If you feel that your caller is suspicious:
Call the non-emergency number on 0845 33 00 222 to report suspicious activity.
Call 999 if you suspect a crime is in progress.
Your call could help us apprehend even more criminals and stop them visiting someone else in your street.
By reporting suspicious behaviour straight away we can take immediate action. Take note of vehicle registration numbers and a description of any possible offenders.
If you are expecting a caller:
Only open your door when you are happy that you know the person. If you can’t see who is calling and need to find out, talk through your letterbox or use your door chain to ask for identification or a pre-arranged password before you let them in.
You can check the identity of the caller by calling the following numbers:
Water - 0845 782 3333
Gas - 0800 393 499
Electricity - 0800 015 2221
BT - 0800 321 999
Do not use any telephone numbers provided by the caller, as they may be bogus.
You can help prevent your elderly relatives and neighbours from becoming victims of this crime. Please pass on this safety information.
Keep your eye on elderly neighbours and report any suspicious activity to police straight away. Take note of vehicle registration numbers and a description of any possible offenders.
If your family has a spare car that isn’t in use, you could park it in your elderly neighbour’s driveway during the daytime so that it looks as if they have company of a younger person in the house.
Do some 'window-dressing' so that the net curtains are clean and tidy and make sure they close their main curtains after dark and are not visible to passing strangers. Help them to keep their garden tidy.
The Hertfordshire Home Security Service provides a Security/Handy Person service for free to people over the age of 60. Their service includes fitting of security measures like locks, door chains, spy-holes and smoke alarms, as well as providing advice on how to stay safe and secure in your own home. Click here for more information.
Distraction burglary means quite literally that a criminal will gain access to your property under false pretences and attempt to distract you while they or a colleague carry out a burglary.
The Hertfordshire Home Security Service provides a Security/Handy Person service for free to people over the age of 60. Their service includes fitting of security measures like locks, door chains, spy-holes and smoke alarms, as well as providing advice on how to stay safe and secure in your own home. 
