Sticker scam in Eltham

Photo taken by Eltham resident

Word has been out last few days about stickers which are being stuck on front doors of houses in Eltham. The stickers, which advertise a fake locksmith, are apparently stuck on houses to identify them as potential target houses to burgle.

The local police team, @MPSElthamNthSgt, tweeted yesterday: "It seems that the stickers are popping up all round Eltham, mostly Progress Est. We've warned Trading standards & the council"

Keen tweeters have been reporting sightings of these stickers and brought them to the attention of local police. One was praised: "...That was due to all you spreading the word after I posted about it yesterday! We didn't realise how many houses were effected."

Wandsworth Council have also spotted this worrying practice in their area and posted about it last Thursday on their website at http://ow.ly/qPJVw 

Tweeters have speculated on the seemingly large number of houses which seems to have been stickered and that we must have a very busy group of burglars.Others have speculated on quite how it all works.

But, reassuringly, local police this morning tweeted "These stickers being placed on doors are v. suspicious but don't be too worried, we've only had 3 residential burglaries this month!" 

UPDATE:  
The Eltham Safer Neighbourhood Team have distributed this notice, as posted by the Greenwich University SU:

NOTICE FROM ELTHAM SAFER NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM:

Various residents in Eltham and the nearby area have found a small silver sticker above their front doorbells which states ‘24/7 Locksmith 0203 582 8175’.

This appears to be happening across the London and the South East. The stickers are also being put above letterboxes. The number on the stickers is a fake number and should not be called, it is believed the stickers indicate the houses to be possibly targeted for burglaries.

If you have any concerns, have seen a sticker or have any information please feel free to contact the Eltham Safer Neighborhood Team on 0208 721 2636.

More updates - links:

 

 Press reports now in:

-  Evening Standard about the scam in Wandsworth (18.11.13)

 

-  The Telegraph ditto (18.11.13)

 

-  itv News (19.11.13)

(though these read as if in response to the same press release)

- News Shopper: “Burglary scare inspires Bexley Good Samaritan to remove fake locksmith stickers” (19.11.13)
 - Metropolitan Police: Greenwich News: "Locksmiths stickers and burglary in your area" (19.11.13)