In Finistère, the inhabitants and the authorities discovered a new scam that makes burglary fears. Since the start of the year, A4 virgins white leaves have been found in the mailboxes of several residents. As brought in Ouest France, these leaves are not completely slipped inside the box but they are slightly exceeding – which is not trivial.
Very clever burglars
Christophe Croin, functional divisional commander of the Concarneau police station, nevertheless sounds the alarm in the face of this unusual situation: “It is a method used by burglars to find out if there is a mail statement”. By introducing a sheet of paper into the box, The criminals thus can see if the accommodation is occupied or not: A sheet that remains in place for several days indicates an absence. They can therefore rob the accommodation more serenely.
The manager therefore calls for the vigilance of all the inhabitants, whether in his commune or in the rest of France: “I call the Concarnois to check their mailbox and especially those of their neighbors if they have been absent”. He also invites the inhabitants to report to the police station any place where this phenomenon would be observed in order to be able to go back to the sponsors.
This stratagem is unfortunately not isolated and attempts to identify (or scam) are multiplying in various forms in many French municipalities. In addition to the white sheet technique, the police regularly warn against other methods used by burglars or crooks. Among them, we find the so-called “in the trash” scam which consists in depositing or moving poubelle bags in front of a house to check if someone fits or leaves them. If nothing moves, it can mean that the accommodation is empty.
Monitor residences
Other processes imagined by the thugs include the installation of small objects or twigs in front of the doors, the handling of the doorbell at different times of the day or the discreet marking of the gate or the mailbox or on the trash with signs in chalk. To this are added to attempts to intrusion under the pretext of false interventions such as false EDF agents, false police officers or even false delivery people.
Faced with the resurgence of these practices, the police permanently insists the importance of collective vigilance and solidarity between neighbors, especially during absences, even short -lived. To strengthen security, it is possible to register for the tranquility vacation operation (OTV), a free device offered by the police and the gendarmerie. As Ouest France points out, “It even works out of school holidays, do not hesitate to use it”. You can also trust a remote monitoring provider like Verisure or Sector Alarm.
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