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With figures from the British Crime Survey suggesting that domestic burglary rose last year for the first time in six years, Sainsbury’s is advising homeowners to take simple steps to avoid becoming a victim of this widespread crime.
The new research for the supermarket bank suggests that six per cent of the adult population, some 2.8 million people, believe they have been targeted by distraction burglars, whereby burglars seek to gain access to a property by claiming to be from a known organisation and often having an accomplice who carries out the theft while the occupier is distracted. The average value of items and money stolen through a distraction burglary was found to be £1,230.
Historically it has been reported that older people are more likely to be victims of this crime but the Sainsbury’s Home Insurance research suggests that younger people are also likely to encounter bogus callers. Six per cent of 16-24 year olds, equivalent to around 370,000 people, claim to have encountered a distraction burglar in the last five years, as did 9 per cent of those between 25 and 34 – roughly 640,000 people.
Worryingly, despite ongoing campaigns to publicise the crime, including a Distraction Burglary Task Force set up by the Government in 2000, less than half (46 per cent) of those who believe they have encountered a distraction burglar actually reported them to the police. Sainsbury’s Home Insurance warns homeowners that they may not be covered for losses if they do not report thefts to the police.
Ben Tyte, Sainsbury’s Home Insurance Manager, said: "Reports of an increase in domestic burglary are obviously a concern and these findings suggest that a worrying number of people are falling victim to so-called distraction burglary. We’d strongly recommend that homeowners take basic steps to protect themselves, whether this is by using a door bar or chain or simply contacting an organisation if a caller arrives unscheduled.
"It’s also a worry that such a large number of victims don’t report the crime to the police. Crimes such as this can have a very damaging psychological effect and we’d strongly encourage anyone who suspects a distraction burglar to report them. What’s more victims could invalidate their home insurance policies if they fail to report the crime."
Geographically, those in London are the most likely to have encountered a distraction burglar. 14 per cent of adults in the capital, some 810,000 people, claim to have been targeted – by far the highest percentage for any location in the UK.
In terms of the disguises used by distraction burglars, victims claim that the most popular is pretending to be an employee from a utility company. 39 per cent of those targeted claim that this was the disguise used. This is followed by claims of being a door to door salesperson (35 per cent) or from a charity (28 per cent).
A Londoner was jailed for four years in January this year after admitting his involvement in 1,400 distraction burglaries. The man, who posed as policemen and utility workers, began committing the crimes at the age of 14 and did so, discounting the four years he has already spent in jail, at a rate of nearly one a day.
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