Three million households targeted by distraction burglars
Almost three million households believe they have encountered bogus callers or distraction burglars in the last 5 years according new research for Sainsbury's Home Insurance. With figures from the British Crime Survey suggesting that domestic burglary rose last year for the first time in six years, Sainsbury's is advising homeowners to take simple steps to avoid becoming a victim of this widespread crime.
The new research for the supermarket bank suggests that 6% of the adult population, some 2.8 million people, believe they have been targeted by distraction burglars, whereby burglars seek to gain access to a property by claiming to be from a known organisation and often having an accomplice who carries out the theft while the occupier is distracted. The average value of items and money stolen through a distraction burglary was found to be £1,230.
Historically it has been reported that older people are more likely to be victims of this crime but the Sainsbury's Home Insurance research suggests that younger people are also likely to encounter bogus callers. 6% of 16-24 year olds, equivalent to around 370,000 people, claim to have encountered a distraction burglar in the last five years, as did 9% of those between 25 and 34 - roughly 640,000 people.
Worryingly, despite ongoing campaigns to publicise the crime, including a Distraction Burglary Task Force set up by the Government in 2000, less than half (46%) of those who believe they have encountered a distraction burglar actually reported them to the police. Sainsbury's Home Insurance warns homeowners that they may not be covered for losses if they do not report thefts to the police.
Ben Tyte, Sainsbury's Home Insurance Manager, said: "Reports of an increase in domestic burglary are obviously a concern and these findings suggest that a worrying number of people are falling victim to so-called distraction burglary. We'd strongly recommend that homeowners take basic steps to protect themselves, whether this is by using a door bar or chain or simply contacting an organisation if a caller arrives unscheduled.
"It's also a worry that such a large number of victims don't report the crime to the police. Crimes such as this can have a very damaging psychological effect and we'd strongly encourage anyone who suspects a distraction burglar to report them. What's more victims could invalidate their home insurance policies if they fail to report the crime."
Geographically, those in London are the most likely to have encountered a distraction burglar. 14% of adults in the capital, some 810,000 people, claim to have been targeted - by far the highest percentage for any location in the UK.
In terms of the disguises used by distraction burglars, victims claim that the most popular is pretending to be an employee from a utility company. 39% of those targeted claim that this was the disguise used. This is followed by claims of being a door to door salesperson (35%) or from a charity (28%).
A Londoner was jailed for four years in January this year after admitting his involvement in 1,400 distraction burglaries. The man, who posed as policemen and utility workers, began committing the crimes at the age of 14 and did so, discounting the four years he has already spent in jail, at a rate of nearly one a day.
Sainsbury's Home Insurance offers the following advice as protection against bogus callers and distraction burglars:
Don't keep large quantities of money in your home
Secure the door bar or chain before opening the door to a stranger
If you haven't been informed by an organisation that you will be visited by one of their employees, don't let them into your home. You can contact the company to ask whether they have any knowledge of this person
Always ask to see the identification card before letting them in to your home. You can request that they put this through your letter box
If you are still unsure about whether to let them in, you can ask them to come back later when youhave a friend or relative with you