99-year-old Woman Targeted By Burglar

Published on: 12 Jun, 2013
Updated on: 13 Jun, 2013

A 99-year old woman was the victim of a distraction burglary in Jacobs Well, Guildford on Saturday evening (June 8). Detectives are now appealing for witnesses.

A man went to the address of the woman around 5pm and managed to con his way into her house by offering to carry out gardening work.

While the woman was distracted, a red leather purse, containing cash and cards, was taken from a handbag in the living room.

The male suspect is described as white, aged 30 to 40 years. He had a tanned complexion with stubble, and was tall with a medium build. His hair was described as brown or black hair, long around the ears, possibly shoulder length. He is believed to have been wearing a jacket.

Detective Constable Andy Greaves, who is investigating the incident, said: “Offering to carry out gardening work is a classic ruse which, unfortunately, on this occasion the elderly victim fell for.

“We do have good description of the suspect involved in this despicable offence and we are hoping to be able to identify the man responsible. In the meantime, we are appealing to anyone with any information to come forward as soon as possible to help us progress our enquiries.”

If you can help, contact Surrey Police on 101, quoting crime reference number GD/13/4821 or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Householders can substantially reduce the possibility of being targeted in distraction offences by following a few simple steps:

Remember to LOCK STOP CHAIN CHECK. Think before you open the door – use your chain and spy hole and look out of the window to see if you recognise the caller.
Utility companies now offer a password identification system. Any caller from one of these companies should be able to give you a prearranged password as additional proof of identity.
Beware of callers who attempt to distract you by claiming that they have seen something untoward in your rear garden or somewhere which may encourage you to leave your house – they may have accomplices awaiting this distraction.
If you are not convinced of the identity of the caller, don’t let them in. Ask the caller to come back later and arrange for a friend, relative or neighbour to be present on their return or ask the caller to contact this person.
Remember a genuine caller won’t mind waiting while you check their identity thoroughly.
Please look out for your elderly relatives and neighbours as these criminals identify them as an easy target.
Treat every stranger with caution, if you are still worried dial 999 immediately and ask for the police.