Police Alert Residents About Elder Burglary Scams

Beware of young women seeking help to find a lost cat, and a man claiming your chimney needs repair, police said this week, after scammers targeted several Albany homes, and one in Berkeley, this month. 

Seniors, age 60 and up, have been the victims in the recent incidents, said Lt. Dan Adams, Albany Police Department.

In the first scam, two or three young women approach a home and tell the resident they're looking for a lost cat, or need milk for it. The goal is to distract the victim and steal valuables, Adams said.

The first reported case happened in Berkeley on Aug. 11. Two women knocked on an elderly resident's door and claimed to be searching for a lost cat. They followed the woman inside, stole her purse, then later used her credit card, Adams said. 

On Aug. 19, about 5:30 p.m., two women stopped by a home in the 1200 block of Garfield Avenue. They said their cat was in the back yard and asked to be let through. The resident denied them entrance and called police after the women left. 

The next day, three women stopped at a house in the 1000 block of Talbot Avenue about 2:30 p.m. They asked an elderly resident for some milk to find their lost cat, Adams said. The woman went inside to get the milk, and the trio then entered her home uninvited. The woman later discovered that a credit card was missing; it was used in a nearby shopping area. 

Police are collecting surveillance footage to try to identify the women, Adams said.

Two of the women were described as white or Hispanic and 25 t0 35 years old. One had blond or dirty blond hair; the other had brown or dirty blond hair. Both were medium build and height. One was said to have a "bossy demeanor," Adams said.

A description of the third woman was not available.

On Monday, a man tried to swindle $7,000 from a woman in the 600 block of Talbot, Adams said. The woman found the man on her roof, and he told her that her chimney needed to be fixed.

"She was willing to have him do the work, but she didn't have cash," Adams said. "She attempted to withdraw the money from her bank, but bank employees thought it was suspicious and they stopped the transaction."

When the woman and police returned to the home, the man was gone. 

He was described as an "average Joe," a white male in his mid-40s, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 150 pounds, an average build and mid-length dark brown hair. 

Police ask anyone who notices suspicious activity to call authorities immediately at 510-525-7300.

Have you heard of other local scams? Tell us in the comments.