Burglars Luring Tri-State Residents From Homes Before Robberies

You have to be a special kind of dirtbag to rob someone to begin with, but to do it WHILE THEY'RE HOME and talking with you under false pretenses is a whole different level of dirtbagness.

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with the Evansville Police Department and Warrick County Sheriff's Office, are warning residents of a group of what they call, "serial burglars," who are luring people out of their homes with a made up story before robbing them blind. Here's how it works:

• A decoy knocks on the door and tells the victims they "accidentally" damaged their property while running cable in the area.
• While they lead the victims to the site of the alleged damage, an accomplice, or accomplices, enter the home through the now unlocked and open front door and take whatever they can get their hands on (jewelry, cash, etc.).
• Once the robbery is over, the decoy tells the homeowners he can't complete the damage assessment without a certain tool he conveniently doesn't have at that moment, and will return to finish the assessment when he does (spoiler alert — he doesn't come back).

Sadly, it's hard to trust people in this day and age because of things like this, so if someone approaches your home with a similar story, be very cautious. Instead of following them out of your home, perhaps ask for a phone number or business card where you can contact them after you take a look at the damage yourself. And be sure to alert the local authorities in your area. They'd love to have a chat with these dirtbags.

[Source: Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office]