Police in El Cajon are warning residents about a scam operation in which a resident is distracted by an individual falsely posing as a government employee while an accomplice burglarizes their home.
On Friday afternoon (May 4), a suspect described as a Hispanic female in her late twenties or early thirties standing about 5’1” and wearing grey pants and a matching shirt with a badge labeled “State of California” approached an elderly female victim in her garage. Identifying herself as a government employee, the suspect informed the victim that she needed to measure the property’s backyard for some sort of piping project.
Though the victim found the request suspicious, the suspect demanded access, and further demanded that the victim accompany her to the back of the home to assist with measuring and recording various figures. Twenty minutes later, the victim was asked to sign the paper with the measurements and the suspect left.
Upon re-entering her home, the victim found that a number of drawers had been rummaged through and boxes of jewelry with a value totaling thousands of dollars had been taken, apparently by a second suspect while the first one distracted the victim.
While El Cajon Police have not had any similar reports and the department’s Sergeant R. Bates says no parallel incidents have yet been reported in the county, they are reminding residents that employees of government agencies or other businesses such as utilities should always carry, and be able to provide, photo identification when contacting individuals at their homes.
Police in El Cajon are warning residents about a scam operation in which a resident is distracted by an individual falsely posing as a government employee while an accomplice burglarizes their home.
On Friday afternoon (May 4), a suspect described as a Hispanic female in her late twenties or early thirties standing about 5’1” and wearing grey pants and a matching shirt with a badge labeled “State of California” approached an elderly female victim in her garage. Identifying herself as a government employee, the suspect informed the victim that she needed to measure the property’s backyard for some sort of piping project.
Though the victim found the request suspicious, the suspect demanded access, and further demanded that the victim accompany her to the back of the home to assist with measuring and recording various figures. Twenty minutes later, the victim was asked to sign the paper with the measurements and the suspect left.
Upon re-entering her home, the victim found that a number of drawers had been rummaged through and boxes of jewelry with a value totaling thousands of dollars had been taken, apparently by a second suspect while the first one distracted the victim.
While El Cajon Police have not had any similar reports and the department’s Sergeant R. Bates says no parallel incidents have yet been reported in the county, they are reminding residents that employees of government agencies or other businesses such as utilities should always carry, and be able to provide, photo identification when contacting individuals at their homes.