Scary thing happened today....

[DIANE W]

I look after my Aunt & Uncle who i am very close to, i have been today and as shocked to learn what a silly thing she has done.

They live alone... he is 82 and she is 78, she only let a stranger into the house

She saw from the window a man jump over the fence joining her and her neighbours front garden. The house next door is up for sale and we dont know if the owners have moved out yet or not... anyway he knocked at her door and introduced himself as her new neighbour, he said his name, wife and childs name and was very believable.

She only let him into her house and he sat in the kitchen with her.... at one point my Uncle wanted to go passed him to get into the other room, as he was a little suspicious... this man was very hesitant to move and let my Uncle pass. Eventually he did move and left, now we have found out from the neighbour the other side (who is a very helpful and good neighbour to my Aunt), that it was all lies.

We think he was trying to distract them in the kitchen whilst someone else came in the other door and robbed them.

I have really told her off (she has done this once before - let someone in she didnt know), and she has promised me that she will keep all the doors locked and only open if she knows who the person.

I am really worried, i havent called the Police as i dont think she could give them much information, and it would upset them to have the police at the house.

I cant stop thinking though what could have happened, or will they try again, now he has been into the house?

She said she has learnt her lesson and wont do it again, the problem is they are just too trusting, they just believe everyone and cant understand how criminals work - he was very believable. I have written out little cards and tacked them onto the doors so she will see it as she approaches the door - DONT OPEN UNLESS YOU KNOW WHO IS THERE

Marie, her nice neighbour watches out for them and keeps a look out, she is so good to them, she gets them anything from the shop and even cooks them meals.

I feel sick to my stomach though, that there are people trying to trick and con old people who are very trusting and helpful.

I dont think i will get much sleep tonight.....

[Blueyes]

I would be upset, too! So many people take advantage of the elderly. The guy may have been looking to see what they had in the house that he could steal. Maybe you should notify the police so they can at least keep an eye on the neighborhood.

I know they are glad to have you watching out for them

[judy]

How awful!!! What terrible people there are to take advantage of older people. Thank goodness nothing happened!

Maybe you should notify the police, and meet them there so that you take pressure off your aunt.

[DIANE W]

Thank you Betsi and Judy for your replies. I have checked on them today and they are fine, so i feel a lot better, i will be reminding them though about it everyday....

I rang the Police just to get some advice, and they took down details and i asked that if they are going to visit, that they ring me first to be present, but i dont think they will call, i gave them as much information as my Aunt or Uncle could - they would not have been able to give a very good description themselves.

They agreed they need to be vigilant about opening the door to people, i told my Aunt that i had called the Police (they have never had any dealings with the police so this made it very serious - which i am glad about), so they will hopefully remember for the future.

I think it just really shocked me that they would be so silly - again.

Thanks for the advice, i hardley ever post about things, and it was nice of you to reply.

[DianaB]

That's scary! I can't believe the things that people will do to get what you have!! Stealing from the elderly. I'm so glad that your Uncle decided to move into the other room.....no telling what might have happened!!! I'm glad that you talked to the police about keeping an eye on the house!! I hope your Aunt is more cautious about letting people in the house.

[Shada]

How scary!! I hope you got thru to them to never invite a stranger into their home. Last summer, my elderly neighbor got a knock on her door from whom she was told was a cable TV salesman who asked her to come out of her house to show him her property line. She did this, and while she was outside with him, another person went into her home and robbed her. She had no idea until they were gone! We live in a dangerous world now sadly. Can't trust those we do not know. Never ever open your door and invite a stranger into your home!
Thank God this turned out ok for them.. the next time might not.
Thank you for watching out for them, and alerting the police was the right thing to do.

[Gina]

That is very scary. A similar story happened to my mom. Many years ago a woman rang my moms door bell and asked for some information my mom told her to come in. The woman asked for some water and as my mom went into the kitchen she ventured into my parents bedroom , luckily my dad was coming out of room and he yelled out at her and she got scared and ran out..

Men are not the only ones not to be trusted , remind your aunt not to open the door to anyone, they are very lucky he didn't harm them...

[Janet]

This happens way to frequently. You were right to contact the police, maybe they can beef up patrols around the area for awhile. It's nice that your aunt and uncle are so trusting....good people, but it can also be deadly. The world around us just isn't safe anymore....very sad.

[Lindsey]

That is scary! The same thing happened to my grandma, who lives alone. Her neighborhood has started to become rough in the past few years. A teenage girl desperately needed to use the phone, so my grandma let her in. A bunch of her friends followed her in and were going through the house, up in her bedroom and everything! I don't think they took anything that time but were checking out to see what she had. Things have been stolen from her yard, and her shed was broken into and things were stolen from that too (like a snowblower that was stolen in July!) Her half-brother now lives in her basement suite so that gives us a little more piece of mind that she's okay there. But she has said a million times, she loves her house and when she and my grandpa moved in, she said it would take wild horses to drag her out, and she still feels that way.

I hope you can convince your aunt and uncle to be careful!

[DIANE W]

Originally Posted by Shada

How scary!! I hope you got thru to them to never invite a stranger into their home. Last summer, my elderly neighbor got a knock on her door from whom she was told was a cable TV salesman who asked her to come out of her house to show him her property line. She did this, and while she was outside with him, another person went into her home and robbed her. She had no idea until they were gone! We live in a dangerous world now sadly. Can't trust those we do not know. Never ever open your door and invite a stranger into your home!
Thank God this turned out ok for them.. the next time might not.
Thank you for watching out for them, and alerting the police was the right thing to do.

Yes that is what we though...that maybe someone else would go around the back and try to get in and steal, i think it is called distraction burglary, I really did stress the seriousness of what she did. The trouble is these people are so believable - i mean even jumping over the fence to give the impression he did belong at the next door property. And as i have already said they just trust people and think they are genuine - hopefully not anymore though.
Your right it was ok this time.... I told them that next time they may not be that lucky.

[DIANE W]

Thanks for the advice everyone and it is awful to read other similar tales.

I have rang her today and they are fine, she said again to me that in a way it has done her a favour - because now she will be extra careful (hope this determination lasts though), so we will just have to see, hopefully he saw enough that they are not wealthy and although they live comfortably, they dont have expensive material things.

I too keep thinking how different it could have been, thankfully they were ok, it is me that is more worked up about it all.

[paula1961]

Oh my goodness!! I'm so glad that no harm came to your aunt and uncle Diane!! Hopefully she learned a good lesson and won't let that happen again. It makes me so angry that there are mean people out there that are more than ready to take advantage of our elderly folks.

[DIANE W]

I know its just awful that people stoop to such low levels to steal. I rang them again today and they are still ok. I feel a little easier now, but i wont let them forget it and keep on reminding them to keep doors locked etc.

They will get fed up with me going on - but i dont care, i will get through to them.