Richmond Heights Police Warn of Scams, Burglaries

The Richmond Heights Police Department is warning residents of various scams and burglary attempts around town. 

Burglary Attempts

A recent string of daytime burglaries have taken place in the St. Louis County area, including Richmond Heights. The suspects in these burglaries are described as two black males in their 20s to 30s, dressed as utility workers (wearing orange vests and hard hats).

If approached by individuals identifying themselves as utility workers, please ask for identification and contact the police department with any suspicious activity.

Grandparent Scams

The Police Department recently took a report from an individual who was a victim of a common type of scam, sometimes referred to as a “family emergency scam” or “grandparent scam.”

As explained by the Federal Trade Commission:

"Scammers may pose as relatives or friends, calling or sending messages to urge you to wire money immediately. They’ll say they need cash to help with an emergency — like getting out of jail, paying a hospital bill, or needing to leave a foreign country. Their goal is to trick you into sending money before you realize it’s a scam."

For further information, please visit the FTC’s Family Emergency Scam webpage.