Burglars have no shortage of ideas for stealing what they want. In particular theft by trickery, which allows them to enter a house without breaking in, taking advantage of the weakness of the inhabitants. In the Var, some people have paid the price.
A glass of water scam : this is the new technique of theft by trickery of which certain elderly people were victims at the beginning of this month of January 2023 in the Var. Spotted by Current wifethe technique consists of ringing doorbells pretending to be thirsty. With the benevolence of the phished victims, thieves have plenty of time to break into the targeted home while the locals go get a glass of water. On its Twitter account, the national police of the department warns, calling on the inhabitants of Toulon to be vigilant: “Warning! Two men pretending to need a glass of water are invited to the homes of elderly people to steal money from them…”.
If the technique of the glass of water is less common for a theft by trickery (generally, burglars pretend to be police officers, plumbers or sellers of calendars), the targets are always the same: elderly and disabled people. In the Var, but also in other departments, the police and the gendarmerie regularly observe this type of burglary.
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Protect against theft by trickery
Certain gestures can be adopted to avoid stealing by trickery. The police, gendarmerie and local authorities regularly publish advice on social networks. For example, it is recommended toinstall a locking system (such as a security chain to keep the door ajar), to demand a business card or proof of passage, and to ask the building caretaker or neighbors for information. If the person enters the home, better not leave her alone, lock the door and above all do not reveal the location of valuables. In case of emergency, it is always possible to dial 15, 17, 18 or 112. In any case, it is better to avoid opening the door to strangers, and those who are thirsty can always wait for their glass of water outside.