The Marana Police Department is warning citizens about an ongoing scam taking place in the Tucson and Phoenix areas, authorities said.
Although anyone can fall victim to the scam, elderly people are asked to be especially cautious, according to a department news release.
In the scam, a suspect will knock on the door, and tell the resident that he is with a local company and needs access to the backyard to take some measurements. While the suspect is engaging the resident in the backyard, by having the person help measure or record measurements on a clipboard, a second suspect enters the house and ransacks it.
The thieves tend to take jewelry and currency, but in two cases, safes were stolen from inside the home, police said.
The two suspects communicate by cell phone during the scenario. It appears to police that when the first suspect receives a call from the second suspect, he tells the victim he's done and leaves the house, according to the release.
The person is inside of the residents home for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Police don't know if the suspects in all the cases are the same or if there's a group working the same scam, but the incidents usually occur between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on any given day of the week.
Anyone who has fallen victim to this scam or with information on the suspects is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME.
