Avoid becoming a victim of distraction burglary by following some simple guidelines from Dyfed Powys

As many of us turn our thoughts to Christmas and shopping for presents, criminals will be on the look-out for any opportunity to make money.

And distraction burglary is one of the ways they use.

A distraction burglary is any crime where a falsehood, trick or distraction is used on an occupant of a dwelling to gain, or try to gain, access to the premises to commit burglary.

“Thankfully in Dyfed Powys this crime is extremely rare – only three have been committed since April this year,” said Detective Chief Inspector Greg Williams. “And, I’m pleased to say, all three have been detected.

“But it would be wrong to rest on our laurels and not advise the residents of Dyfed Powys of how protect against such a crime.

“The most common one we see is someone pretending to be from the water, gas or electricity provider and distracting the home owner while another person enters the house and goes looking for cash or valuables.

“Or they pretend to be doing houeshold repairs and event impersonating figures of authority such as police officers and social workers in order to gain access.

“The sad reality is these distraction burglaries can have a profoundly negative effect on a victim’s life, and that’s why I want to get some key guidelines out there for people so they can help to protect themselves against these ruthless criminals.

“We are working hard to tackle distraction burglary, and we will continue to do so, but we need to alert people to this crime.”

There are a few simple steps which householders can take to protect themselves against distraction burglary.

Please share them with family, friends or neighbours- anyone or you think could be at risk.

• Check the identity of callers by calling the company they claim to be from. Use the telephone numbers listed in your local directory, online or provided independently by your service provider. Do not use any telephone numbers provided by the caller – they may be bogus.
• Telephone a neighbour or friend nearby to come along and check out the caller before you open the door to them.
• The “Waterboard” has not existed for 28 years; turn away anyone purporting to be from it.
• Keep cash in the bank where it is secure.
• Consider storing valuable jewellery in bank deposit box- contact your bank for details.
• Keep doors locked and windows secure at all times.
• Ensure that if you do let somebody in to your home, that you close the door behind them – distraction burglars often work in teams, while you’re distracted another person may sneak in through an open door.
• If somebody asks for your help, needs to make a telephone call, needs a drink or wants directions, don’t feel pressurised into letting them in. Help through a closed door, refer them to a younger neighbour or call to ask someone to assist.
• Not sure? Don’t open the door.

“Figures tell us that distraction burglary is an under-reported crime,” said Mr Williams. “The most typical victim is a woman in her 70s living alone. Research suggests that less than 10 per cent of these types of crimes are reported to police. There are many reasons for this, not least of which are the feelings of embarrassment, intimidation and fear of losing their independence that many victims feel.

“But I want to reassure people that Dyfed Powys Police will do all that we can to support and protect victims who do come forward.

“Work has been ongoing in the recent past to address this threat and the past five years have seen a big reduction in distraction burglary and the detection of more offenders.

“Let’s work together to make it harder for criminals to get away with distraction burglary.”