The Lombard Police Department is warning residents about a rise in ruse burglaries around our area and sharing safety tips against these types of crimes. A ruse burglary is committed when two or more individuals work as a team to distract a homeowner (often posing as a utility worker or solicitor) while the other(s) enter the home and steal items of value.
Residents can protect themselves and their loved ones by keeping the following in mind:
- Any Village of Lombard employee will have official Village credentials, drive an officially marked vehicle or wear a Village-issued uniform identified by the Village logo.
- The Village of Lombard requires permits for solicitors and maintains an active account of all actively permitted solicitors in the Village. You may view photos of current solicitors at www.villageoflombard.org/solicitorphotos.
- Utility companies such as ComEd, Nicor, Comcast, and AT&T also have identification cards. Utility workers will also have utility service vehicles, so be wary of "workers" without an official vehicle. Utility workers from those companies which provide services to your home will generally only be coming to your home at your request, so if someone shows up at your door, verify who they are.
- Never allow anyone into your house you did not expect or with whom you did not schedule an appointment. Offenders of ruse burglaries target residents, specifically seniors, who are home alone and attempt to gain access into the home.
- Immediately report any suspicious activity by calling 911. If possible, try to obtain the vehicle license plate, color, make/model, and offender description.
Please share this information with your family, friends, and neighbors.