According to Foxnews.com, a Kansas
homeowner was reportedly burglarized by a man posing as a real estate agent, a
"new twist" on property crime, police said.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the victim — who asked not to be identified
due to security concerns — received a call from his real estate agent on Oct.
3, telling him that another man who identified himself as an agent for a couple
said they were interested in the home.
Since the caller used an agent's name that was familiar to the man and used
real estate jargon, the homeowner's agent then provided the man the combination
to a lock box outside the home.
"We fell, hook, line and sinker," the homeowner told the newspaper.
The scamming agent and his "buyers" later arrived at the home in a small
blue car and stole several items worth roughly $5,000, including jewelry,
handguns, electronics and family mementos.
The victim's real agent, meanwhile, apologized for not following established
procedure to confirm the caller's identity and paid for new locks on the house.
"It's a new twist for the burglary section," Wichita Police Lt. Joe Cutcliff
said. "We're still chasing it."
