11 ruse burglaries in Wheeling since July

Wheeling police are warning residents to use caution when opening the door to strangers dressed as workmen, as these “ruse” burglaries have been on the rise in the village.

These burglaries occur when someone dressed as a gas, cable or landscaping employee uses that disguise to get into the victim’s house and steal cash or other valuables, according to an alert from police.

There have been 11 ruse burglaries in Wheeling since July, with only one of those cases resulting in an arrest, said Wheeling Deputy Chief John Teevans.

As this crime of opportunity seems to be on the rise around the Chicago area, Teevans said, several local departments will be meeting in the new year to discuss what they can do to foster prevention.

These offenders typically work in pairs or groups, Teevans said, with one person to distract the resident and the others to look for valuables such as coins, jewelry, expensive watches or cash.

Elderly people are often targeted, Teevans said.

“When someone pulls up in a truck and has identification, people are very trusting of that,” he said. “You might think they’re from the cable company, when in fact they’re there for something else.”

Teevans suggested asking for identification and calling the company to verify that they sent someone to the house before letting them in to look around or do any work. He said if the resident did not call and request a workmen, the resident should be suspicious.

According to the alert, offenders claiming to be with the water department entered the home of a senior citizen to check the pipes, and while one distracted the person, the other went into the bedroom and stole cash and jewelry.

Teevans added that it’s easier to falsify identification with technologies now available. If residents think something is wrong, they should call the police, he said.

If workmen say they need to do work in the backyard, make sure all doors to the house are locked and keep an eye on the employees, he suggested.

He added that these crimes are normally more prevalent during the summer months when offenders can claim to be doing yard work, but they can also happen in the winter with people posing as cable, heat or other utility employees.

The village is also asking residents who live near older residents to keep an eye out for strange vehicles by their homes.

“Don’t give the criminal the opportunity to make you a victim,” Teevans said.