Warning to Flintshire residents after two female ‘cold callers’ claiming to be from council entered pensioners house

Crime Prevention organisation OWL Cymru is warning Flintshire residents about two female cold callers who gained entry to an elderly woman’s house in Buckley.

OWL Cymru received a report regarding the two cold callers attending the address of an elderly female in the Southfields Close area of Buckley on Tuesday, April 2.

They asked to be shown around the property which the resident agreed to do as she believed they were from Flintshire County Council.

The women had no identification or calling cards.

Neighbourhood Watch alert states:

“Enquiries have been made with several departments in Flintshire County Council but no visits have been recorded to the property.

Enquiries are ongoing but we would like to advise all residents, and  Flintshire County Council residents to be vigilant about who they let into their properties.

If you are a Flintshire County Council tenant and regeneration works need to be carried out tenants will receive a letter, and if repairs need to be carried out a telephone appointment would be made and staff would attend in a Flintshire County Council van, in uniform, with identification.

Remember some cold callers are linked to burglaries or other criminal activity. Please report anything suspicious to Police. Dial 101 for non-urgent calls, dial 999 if your call is urgent

North Wales Police has issued a ‘Three Step Plan’ for dealing with doorstep callers.

Remember genuine callers will not mind waiting. It’s your home. You don’t have to let anyone in!

One:

If in doubt, keep them out. It sounds simple, but if you don’t let someone in – they will go away. Don’t let them pressure you into opening the door.

Two:

Be prepared. Be in control. Think about what to say to doorstep cold callers in advance. Keep a list of key contact numbers near your phone so you can check out legitimate callers. Ask all other unwanted callers to go away.

Three:

Call a neighbour or the police. Contact a local relative or nominated neighbour who can help verify a cold caller. If you think someone is a rogue trader call North Wales Police on 101.

To report a distraction burglar or rogue trader who has taken your money and is still in the area – call 999.

If you do happen to get caught off guard and a cold caller does manage to get into your house, let us know about it as soon as possible.

There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and the sooner we know about it, the better chance we have of catching them and recovering your property.