Series of suspicious calls
is cause for concern

A recent string of what police refer to as flim-flam crimes in the area is enough to show that residents need to be careful about whom they let into their homes or onto their properties.

There have been numerous reports of suspicious people using deceptive tactics to get into the homes of residents in several Middlesex County municipalities this summer. In many of the cases, residents have been approached by one or more subjects who say they are employed by either the water department or another service-related agency, and that they need to check something in the home or on the property.

In some cases, while the resident is distracted by one person, a second person prowls through the house searching for money or other valuables.

Often, the elderly are the targets of these crimes, as was the case in Sayreville last week. A pair of women managed to get themselves into the home of a couple in their 80s, reportedly by pretending to be old neighbors of the couple and negotiating their way into the kitchen. After sitting down to a conversation, the two women reportedly began to use deceptive techniques to access another part of the house. Fortunately, the couple reacted quickly, and as they went to call the police, the women fled.

Of course, the women should have never been invited into the house, but unsuspecting people can sometimes be taken advantage of. It’s important for residents, even those who view their neighborhoods as insular and crime-free, to realize that there are thieves in the general vicinity who prey upon people just like them.

If someone comes to your door whom you do not know or who is not invited, keep the door closed and locked, and call the police immediately.