Britons are being urged to secure their homes against a potential surge of burglaries when lockdown ends.
There was a 20 per cent drop in house burglaries last year compared to 2019, according to analysis of government crime figures by the home insurance company Hiro.
Criminals overall takings were down by £103million in 2020 as homeowners spent the majority of their time in their properties. This equated to individual losses for burglars and thieves of £12,954.
Peoples eagerness to flee the confinement of their homes presents an opportunity for burglars, who will be looking to recoup their lockdown losses
There are now fears of a domestic burglary resurgence as the nationwide vaccination rollout progresses and lockdown restrictions ease.
Homeowners are being scammed out of tens of thousands of pounds by a wave of rogue locksmiths who bully their victims into submission.
Families are being warned against a new crop of cowboy tradesmen who promise quick-fix jobs before threatening to lock people out of their homes if they don t pay extortionate bills.
Online giant Google is profiting from the scams by promoting the conmen through paid-for advertising, it is understood. One rogue company is believed to be paying to be promoted on the tech firm s search results.
Trade body the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) has received more than 800 complaints about rogue or fake locksmiths over the past year and in two-thirds of cases, customers are being overcharged by £200 or more.
Amid the third national lockdown, we’ve heard a growing number of reports of suspicious uninvited callers targeting people on their doorsteps. Have you been paid a visit?
We’re doing more things than ever online and by phone during the pandemic, so it’s no surprise that scam sites, calls and texts have rightly garnered media attention.
But we’re also hearing more reports of doorstep scammers. Last week came the horrifying news of a COVID-19 vaccine fraudster who charged a pensioner £160 after visiting her home and injecting an unknown substance into her arm.
Back in July, our Which? Trusted Traders team issued a similar warning, while the Master Locksmiths Association warned of a surge in rogue locksmiths entering the largely unregulated profession – possibly as a result of having lost their previous employment due to the pandemic.