Staffordshire Police

Distraction burglary is a rare but very distressing crime that mainly affects the most vulnerable members of our society, especially the elderly.

Distraction burglary is any crime where a lie, trick or distraction is used on an occupant of a dwelling to gain, or try to gain, access to commit burglary.

Examples of this would include bogus officials, (people claiming to come from the council, water-board etc) or people claiming that the property or garden needs essential maintenance. Another common trick is people claiming their pet/ball is in that person’s rear garden.

Last year Staffordshire Police saw a drop in the numbers of burglaries of all types, with a fall in distraction offences of 7.59 per cent. However, we believe this number can be reduced still further.

Nationally bogus callers target older people, with the average age of their victims being 81. Nearly two thirds of their victims are female with the majority living alone. It is feared that this crime does not always get reported as some people, wrongly, feel ashamed that they believed these cunning tricksters.

While the loss of money or valuables is very distressing, just being a victim causes a great deal of stress and may lead to loss of confidence and poor health.

As a force, Staffordshire Police is doing all it can to catch those responsible for these despicable crimes, and there have been a number of successes. However, there is a lot more that individuals and communities can do.

Please note this email address is not monitored 24 hours a day and should not be used for reporting bogus callers or burglary. If you think a bogus caller has called at your door, dial 999 and report it immediately.