Warning following spate of bogus official burglars

Greater Manchester Police is issuing a warning to residents about a scam being used by bogus official burglars.

A number of the criminals are now approaching residents in their home saying they are from the water board and need to come inside and either apply a coloured dye to the water, or check for traces of it.

This line is increasingly being used by the burglars as a means of distracting victims so they can search the house.

Forty one burglaries of this nature have been reported to the force since June 2009.

All areas in Greater Manchester have been affected, which has prompted a force wide approach to tackle the issue working closely with United Utilities.

The operation aims to both investigate burglaries that have taken place and advise residents on how to avoid falling foul of the scam.

Detective Inspector Sara Wallwork said: "Between April and June this year, bogus water officials accounted for more than half of the distraction burglaries that have been reported to us.

"Despite a number of recent convictions of serial offenders, and although the number of burglaries in Greater Manchester is going down, criminals of this nature keep knocking on doors, often targeting more vulnerable people, with the sole intention of stealing from them.

"These crimes really are deplorable and often leave victims feeling cheated and humiliated.

"We understand they cause concern to all of our communities, which is why we have a centralised department where information is shared across divisions and other forces to help target suspects.

"The current method of preference for several criminals is to claim they need to apply a coloured dye to the water supply, but I am reminding residents that if they follow our simple advice, they can avoid being a victim, whatever the nature of the scam."

Alison Simons, from United Utilities Customer Operations Team said: "We are very concerned to hear that thieves have been using this excuse to trick their way into homes. Dye is sometimes used by our engineers to trace the flow of water or sewage on our pipe network - but it is highly unlikely we would carry out this type of work without making a prior appointment with the property owner. Nor would we need to access a customer's home for this type of work.

"We'd urge people to thoroughly check the identification of anyone claiming to be from the 'water board', and if in doubt, keep them out and call us to check. Genuine employees won't mind waiting on the doorstep. To provide extra reassurance, we run a password recognition scheme for our customers, which is free to set up."

Customers can call United Utilities on 0845 746 2200 to check the authenticity of a United Utilities representative or call 0845 746 1100 to register a password of their choice.