Larcenies from vehicles reported
The Dearborn Police Department has received reports of items being stolen from parked vehicles. Residents are asked to take steps to avoid becoming a victim of this crime of opportunity.
Department officials said residents should:
• Remember to keep your vehicle locked and windows rolled up even if the vehicle is parked in your driveway or in front of your home.
• Park your vehicle in your garage or in your driveway
whenever possible.
• Do not leave valuables (GPS Units, MP3 Players, laptops, money, etc.) visible in your vehicle.
• Never leave any personal information in your vehicle such as the vehicle title, registration, or insurance.
• Residents should avoid leaving their vehicles running unattended even for a short period.
• Be aware of your surroundings and trust your instincts.
Dearborn residents can report all suspicious activity anonymously by calling 313-943-3030.
Phone scammers posing as police officers
The Dearborn Police Department has become aware of a scam involving people contacting victims by telephone claiming to be law enforcement or IRS agencies collecting debts.
The scammer will try to intimidate the victim by threatening to put him or her in jail if the money is not paid.
The scammer will ask the victim to purchase pre-paid gift cards and provide the card information when he or she calls back. Usually, the victim has no knowledge of any debt.
In the recent cases the scammer falsely claims to be a police officer; however, the DPD does not solicit or collect money for unpaid tickets, fees, or any other debts over the phone or via email.
If you receive such a phone call, never give any personal
information to the caller. Always get a call back phone number and never send money to anyone you do not know.
The DPD advises if you feel you have been a victim of such a scam, contact the your local police department.
Be aware of scam artists
“Scam artists” are criminals that often prey on senior citizens because these citizens are trusting, living alone, or have large sums of money available to them.
These types of scams may include home invasions, burglaries, robberies, thefts, confidence games, door-to-door, solicitors, home companion scams, or home repair frauds.
Many scams are often committed by well organized, transient criminals who evade identification and arrest by operating in various cities and towns under many different aliases. They often leave town before a crime has been discovered or reported.
A TYPICAL SCAM
One or two people make contact with a homeowner by ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door. They attempt to distract the homeowner and direct them toward the kitchen with deceptions such as:
• Faking an illness
• Posing as a utility worker
• Offering to complete home repairs
• Pretending to have a package to deliver
• Asking for paper or pen to leave a note for a neighbor
• Asking if the house is for sale
• Looking for a lost dog or cat
Once the homeowner is distracted, several unseen accomplices will enter the home and explore the house in search of jewelry or money. There is usually very little sign of ransacking since the accomplices go through the homeowner’s items very carefully taking only certain valuables and putting everything else back in its place.
After the suspects leave, the homeowner may not even realize that anything has been taken.
Another common scam occurs when a homeowner is approached
by one or more people and offers to conduct home repairs such as a new roof, cement repairs, at a very low cost.
The con-artist will then convince the homeowner to pay for all or part of the repair up front in cash. Once the homeowner gives the money to the con-artist, the con-artist leaves the area and never returns to complete the home repairs.
QUICK TIPS CHECKLIST
• Use caution when dealing
with strangers – even those who wear authentic looking uniforms and may have a reason for entering the house.
• Be suspicious of strangers
offering to share found money or lottery winnings with you.
• Request and verify identification before letting somebody in your house.
• Check a company’s reputation with the Better Business
Bureau before conducting business with them.
• Request a written estimate for repair work. Also, get estimates from other companies before making any type of commitment.
• Do not invest hastily. Do not rush into a bargain. If
it appears too good to be true, it usually is.
• Ask that you wish to discuss
a contract with a lawyer before signing any documents.
• When in doubt, call the police.
• If the suspects leave before the police arrive, try to obtain a description of the person or vehicle involved. A license plate number helps the investigation a great deal.
• Scam artists are persuasive
and persistent. They are very well trained in what they do and have managed to take away some people’s entire life savings. The best way to avoid becoming a victim is to remain cautious and become educated on how these types of groups operate.
If Dearborn residents believe that they have been victims of a scams, they are asked to call the Dearborn Police Department at 313-943-2240. They also are asked to report all suspicious activity to the Dearborn Police at 313-943-3030.
Package delivery safety tips.
Residents need to be on the alert for suspicious vehicles
and people in their neighborhoods.
Police departments throughout the country receive a number of reports about UPS, FedEx and U.S. Postal Service packages being stolen from mailboxes and doorsteps.
Thieves often will target their victims by following behind UPS, FedEx and USPS trucks (known as “tailgating”)
and watch for deliveries where packages are left in open areas.
Once the delivery person has left the package, the thieves will go onto the property and steal these packages.
Here are a few safety tips you can take to better protect yourself if you are expecting a package delivery.
• Always retrieve packages (and mail) as soon as it arrives. If you are not going to be home to receive the package:
• Send the package to the residence of a trusted friend or relative who you know will be home. Be sure that the friend is ready and waiting to retrieve the package when the doorbell rings and be on the lookout in case the doorbell doesn’t ring.
• Ask the package delivery company to hold the package if you will not be home. (Many have local delivery centers.)
• Request that your packag is marked “signature required.” This requires the delivery person to stand by and wait until you’re available to retrieve the package.
• Leave special instructions with the delivery company
on where to deliver the package. A good place is on the side or back of the house, so that the package is out of sight from the road.
• Use a company that provides a tracking service and check online to see when it is scheduled to arrive.
• Have the items shipped to the nearest store for “in-store pick up.”
Dearborn residents are asked to be vigilant and report
suspicious activity to the Dearborn Police Department at 313-943-3030. If you see a crime in progress, call 911.
City has no role in mailing from insurance company
DEARBORN – Homeowners
here may have received information in the mail from a company selling insurance to cover the costs of emergency repairs of water service lines on private property, a rare occurrence, city officials say.
The city has no relationship with the private insurance
company. The city does not make recommendations regarding the purchase of insurance policies.
Homeowners may be interested to know that out of the 33,000 households in Dearborn, only two to four a year are affected by water service line emergencies that require extensive repairs.
A water service line is the pipe on your property that brings fresh water into your home from the city’s water line, which is usually in the street.
Homeowners, not the city, are responsible for repairs and maintenance of the water service line on their property.