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We received two reports last night from Branston & North Hykeham of two males cold calling late in the evening, within 45 minutes of each other.
They were knocking on doors claiming to be collecting for charity but this is not a time we'd expect them to be doing this.
Please stay vigilant and check in on neighbours who may be vulnerable to fraud, particularly elderly or isolated residents.
🔒 Remember – if in doubt, keep them out! Please see below for a reminder about distraction burglaries.
Distraction burglaryDistraction burglars pretend to be someone they are not in order to gain entry to your home. Common methods used by distraction burglars pretending to be from a care agency, the council or a utility company investigating a gas or water leakseeking help to leave a note for a neighbour or even asking for a drink of water if they claim to be thirsty or unwellclaiming to be in a hurry or emergency and needing to get into your home quicklyworking in teams, with one person distracting you while the other searches your homeHow to prevent itThere are a number of things you can do to prevent distraction burglary. Always remember "if in doubt, keep them out": use your door viewer to see who’s thereif you open the door put the chain on firstalways ask for ID and check it with the company before letting somebody into your homeuse the phone number advertised in the phone book or online, as the number on their identity card could be fake. For a utility company, call the customer service department. Close the door while you do thisremember that genuine callers won’t mind checks. If you feel at all unsure, schedule a time for the caller to come back when a friend or relative is therefor pre-planned appointments with utility companies, a password scheme can be set upIf you feel threatened or in danger by the presence of the caller, call 999. Information obtained from Lincolnshire Police, for more crime prevention information please see Crime prevention advice | Lincolnshire Police (lincs.police.uk) | 
