'Ruse' Burglaries On The Rise In Mokena, Lincoln-Way Corridor: Police

MOKENA, IL — Will County Sheriff’s Department officials are warning Mokena and other nearby residents to be wary of burglars posing as home security system installers who instead are preying on older members of the community, police said on Thursday.

Police said they have seen an increase in local ruse burglaries in which older citizens tend to be targeted by scammers posing as people they tell their victims they can trust to fix issues with their home security systems.

Will County Sheriff’s officials said Thursday that they have seen a jump in incidents involving these burglaries in the Joliet area. But the crimes have also been taking place in Mokena and neighboring areas, police said, namely the Lincoln-Way corridor. Police officials said that older residents are typically targeted in burglaries because they are trusting and easy to target, police said.

Police said that the recent incidents have involved burglaries claiming to be with home security companies who talk their way into the homes of local residents. The scam typically involves the so-called employees telling residents that they have been informed that there is a problem with their home security system and that they need to investigate so that the system can work properly.

Other ruse burglaries involve burglars posing as employees from utility companies and driveway surfacing companies who police said use the scam to enter residents’ homes. But recent incidents have involved supposed home security system workers, police said.

Residents are asked to remember that they should not allow anyone in their homes unless they have specifically made appointments to have something fixed.