Rise in ‘ruse burglary’ scams across France: what are they?

Residents in France are being urged to remain vigilant after increasing reports of fraudsters posing as fake workers and police to enter homes and carry out sophisticated ‘ruse burglary’ scams.

Scammers often target elderly or vulnerable people, looking to confuse them and clearing homes of any valuables before the ruse is uncovered.

A report by media outlet FranceInfo focused on Guy, 79, who saw burglars make off with an antique coin collection worth €110,000. 

“I saw that everything had been stolen from the places where I hid my coins. It was a lifelong passion of mine. It’s terrible,” he said. 

It comes as the number of burglaries across France is on the rise.

Several scammers work together

Door-knocking scams in France are common, particularly around Christmas where fraudsters can pose as firefighters, refuse workers or posties looking for an étrenne or donation. 

These ‘ruse’ scams are more sophisticated however and can contain several layers. 

Some cases see scammers simply pose as police officers, reporting on burglaries in the area and asking to come in and check your home has not been targeted.

They will pretend to look for signs of attempted entry, while in reality looking at where valuables are kept to make off with them, either at the end of their visit or during a targeted attack. 

In some versions, a scammer will attempt to keep the victim occupied in one room while the other snoops around, and they may even be brazen enough to ask you to check your valuables with them to ensure they have not been touched – only to snatch the goods themselves. 

This was a method used by two burglars recently arrested in northern France, after seven thefts and one attempted theft posing as police officers.

Guy is one of several to fall to a more advanced version of the scam, consisting of multiple layers. 

In one version of the theft, someone will turn up at the home, posing as a worker such as a plumber, saying they have been called out to look at a problem with the property. 

Soon after another fraudster or multiple scammers will turn up claiming to be police officers. 

They will tell the victim they are on the hunt for a burglar who has been posing as a worker to rob people… who just so happens to be at your home as they knock.

In the ensuing confusion, the scammers will work together to disorient the victim, occupy them in certain rooms while an unwatched person snoops around, and then leave in a whirlwind, leaving the victim confused. 

The presence of ‘police’ officers will reassure the victim, who may believe they are safe, and only discover much later the items that have been taken.

Other variants of ‘ruse’ scams include burglars posing as helpful neighbours helping an elderly person walk home, and once at the person’s door having a second person pose as a delivery driver coming to drop off a parcel. 

As the elderly person goes to pick up the parcel, the so-called helpful neighbour takes the time to enter the unlocked home and pilfer the house. 

It is particularly common in blocks of flats, where elderly people may take several minutes to get to the main entrance and back.

Always ask for ID, call official services

“The victims are often elderly, as it is easier to target people who are, unfortunately, vulnerable,” said Colonel Sébastien Constant, an officer in Yvelines, to FranceInfo. 

Scammers can spend considerable time staking out homes in advance to find people who are vulnerable, particularly living alone, who make perfect victims.

“It is a nationwide phenomenon, and one that is on the rise. In any case, we are seeing a high number of incidents.

Advice from police includes refraining from answering your front door when not expecting anyone, to use your door chain lock and to ask anyone claiming to be official to show an official ID. 

Legitimate officers or workers will never be frustrated at having to show this or refuse to do so.

Workers should not need to enter homes unless an appointment has already been made, and you can refuse entry. 

You should also call the organisation they claim to be working for to check directly with them that the visit is legitimate.