Fall River police warn of ruse to lure people from homes to rob them

Police are altering residents to be aware of a ruse to lure people away from their homes after thousands of dollars of goods were stolen from one property.

FALL RIVER — Police are altering residents to be aware of a ruse to lure people away from their homes after thousands of dollars of goods were stolen from one property.

According to police, a suspicious tan colored van with two Hispanic males has been seen in the area of Elsbree and Langley streets. Police described the men as being in their late-to-mid thirties and approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a thin build.

Police said in one incident, one of the men walked into the backyard of a resident and was confronted. Speaking in a heavy Hispanic accent, police said the man claimed to work for a tree removal company. During this time he was also communicating with the other person who remained in the truck via a two-way radio. The man in the backyard then lured his victims to the farthest point away from the home, allowing the second person to enter the home and steal thousands of dollars in goods. After realizing the man's story didn't make any sense, the victims returned to the home to discover a large number of missing items. By that point the two men had already left the scene.

Fall River Police are asking if suspicious activity similar to this is seen to report it immediately. If residents have a question about door-to-door solicitors or feel behavior is suspicious they can also call the police department at 508-676-8511.