Officers investigating a distraction burglary in Weymouth are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward.
At around 3.30pm on Saturday 28 December 2019 a man wearing a high-visibility jacket attended an address off Portwey Close purporting to be from the water board. He claimed he needed to check the water pressure.
The elderly female victim let the man in and initially followed him but he asked her to stay in the spare room and listen to the water tank. He returned a short time later, stated the pressure was low and then left.
Around 30 minutes later the victim received seven phone calls on her home phone from a man purporting to be from the fraud squad and claiming her cards had been used fraudulently and attempted to ask for her date of birth. The victim told the caller it was impossible as her purse was at home and she hung up. The number was traced back to a telephone kiosk.
The victim then looked for her purse and discovered it was missing. It contained cash, bank cards and other personal items. She then called the police and her family.
The offender is described as white, just under six feet tall, of average build and aged in his early 50s. He was wearing a black beanie hat, long sleeved yellow high-visibility jacket and black trouser bottoms. He had either one or two teeth missing from the upper side of his mouth.
Police Constable Will Harris, of Weymouth police, said: “This was a despicable incident in which an elderly woman was targeted in her own home. We are carrying out a number of enquiries, including house-to-house visits and CCTV checks, in a bid to identify this man.
“I would ask anyone who was in the Portwey Close area at the relevant time to please contact Dorset Police with any information or CCTV they may have.
“I would remind residents not to let people into their homes unless they have checked who they are are and always ask for identification. If you are unsure, a genuine caller will not mind waiting while you make a phone call.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email [email protected], or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55190202854. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
