Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect seniors targeted by scammers

A pair of similar-sounding home thefts targeting seniors in both Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect have been reported in the early weeks of the new year.

In both incidents, two men have been involved, entering the homes on the premise of being roof repairmen needing to fill buckets with hot water.

While one man actually filled the buckets in each kitchen, the other man removed valuable items from other parts of the houses.

In the first case, a safe containing certificates of deposit, savings bonds, coins and personal papers valued at $33,000 was taken from a home on the 500 block of Na Wa Ta Avenue in Mount Prospect at about 12:40 p.m. Jan. 5.

In the other case, a 14-carat yellow gold diamond ring valued at $11,000 was taken from a home on the 1400 block of Hawthorne Street in Arlington Heights at about 2 p.m. Jan. 12.

In both incidents, one man initially knocked on the door and claimed that his father had put the roof on the house years before. The request to fill buckets with water was made even when the request to do work on the roof was refused.

Despite the similarities in the two cases, both departments said they were not in a position to confirm that exactly the same men had committed both crimes.

"It could be two separate groups," Arlington Heights police Sgt. Tom Seleski said. "It's a real common ruse used by this particular crime group."

The need to fill buckets with water is one of several interchangeable tactics used by scam artists targeting seniors, Seleski said. Not only is it an excuse to enter the house in the first place, but the noise from the pouring water helps cover the sounds of the accomplice once inside.

Various reasons are given for the need for the water, but it's usual on the premise that it's needed to mix materials, Seleski said.

Because small, valuable items are normally looked for, their absence is often not noticed until after the offenders have been gone awhile, he added.

Neither victim provided very detailed physical descriptions of the offenders, but in the Mount Prospect case a black car was used while in Arlington Heights the men left in a minivan.