An elderly man in Lydd has been the victim of two distraction burglaries since October 2021 and detectives have linked the incidents.
On Saturday 8 January 2022 between 5pm and 5.20pm, a man talked his way into the victim’s home in Station Road claiming that he worked as a police officer and needed to seize any cash he had in the house.
The suspect entered the property with a woman and persuaded the victim to part with his money. He claimed the cash needed to be seized as part of an investigation because they believed it was counterfeit.
The suspect is described as white with medium length black hair. He was of a large build with an oval shaped face. He was wearing a white t-shirt, aged in his late forties and was around six feet tall.
The victim in his 80s gave the pair the money and they left. When the man realised it was a scam he reported it to Kent Police.
This is the second time the same person has been the victim of a distraction burglary. On 25 October 2021, at around 1pm, he was visited by a man who claimed he was doing some work on a house nearby and saw a bird fly in through his window. He asked if he could come in and get the bird out. He is alleged to have barged into the property and quickly toured the house whilst confusing the resident.
The suspect told the victim he could see some water damage in his office and would fix it for £600, the victim had never seen the water before but felt obliged to hand over the money, which the suspect saw him retrieve from a safe.
Detectives have linked the incidents and continue to carry out their enquiries. They would like to hear from anyone who witnessed anything suspicious in Station Road or has information that could help with the investigation. Anyone with details should call Kent Police on 01843 222289 quoting reference 46/4944/22.
You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 55511 or complete the online form on their website.