The Munster Police Department would like to make residents aware of a recent uptick in criminal activity in our town. In the month of September and early October the Munster Police Department has seen a large increase in the number of concrete/roofing scams, as well as ruse burglaries.
What is a concrete or roofing scam? Suspects will typically be dressed as construction workers or laborers and approach a resident stating they recently completed a job in the neighborhood and have construction materials left over. They will offer to “seal” concrete steps, porches, and driveways, or repair roofs at a discounted price. They will quickly complete substandard work using substandard materials and present an invoice which is thousands of dollars over the quoted price. Suspects will then use intimidation tactics to pressure residents into paying, even going so far as to follow them to the bank and withdraw cash.
What is a ruse burglary? Suspects will typically pose as utility workers, wearing reflective vests. They will approach a resident and claim they have damaged the resident’s property (water line, gas line, fence, etc.) while working on a neighboring property. One suspect will distract the resident by taking them away from the house to show them the “damage”. Additional suspects will then enter the residence and steal property.
Who is doing this? Suspects in these crimes are Romani travelers, sometimes referred to as gypsies. They are often described by victims to be Hispanic males and females, due to their skin tone and appearance. They will typically speak English but communicate with each other using another language. This is frequently mistaken for Spanish and is actually Romani. The Munster Police Department has identified as many as four different groups of Romani travelers that have targeted Northwest Indiana, to include Munster and the surrounding area in recent weeks. The Munster Police Department has also arrested and charged several of
these individuals, however, others continue to come to our town to commit these crimes.
What can you do? Be vigilant. Demand to see identification from anyone who claims to be a utility worker. Watch out for your elderly neighbors, who are almost always the victims of these crimes, and try to continue to warn them about these and other types of scams.
Always be on the look out for anything suspicious and report it by calling 911. If it doesn’t seem right to you, please be sure to call right away.