The man reportedly entered the home of a woman in her 80s on Springfield Avenue around 1pm on Friday and made her believe she was there to make water.
The owner of the house asked the man to leave after he had entered several rooms of the house. The man then asked for a sum of money before leaving.
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Detective Sergeant Magee said: “It is not believed that anything was arrested and while the victim was, fortunately, physically unharmed, he was shocked by what happened and we are monitoring all lines of inquiry to locate those involved.
“We recognize the impact that this heinous crime will have on the elderly in our community, who are perhaps terrified.
There are many initiatives that are really useful, such as “No Cold Calling”, “Nominated Neighbor” program, QuickCheck, Neighborhood Watch and ScamwiseNI Partnership and details on all of these can be found on our website at www.psni .police.uk /.
“I will appeal to anyone who may have seen this incident or who may have seen a suspect in the area or have video from a camera, to call a detective at the non-emergency number 101 referring to the reference number 956 of 25/03/22, or submit an online report using the non-emergency reporting form via
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111 or online at
Police also issued this advice to seniors after the incident.
Before responding to the front door, make sure that the rear door is locked. If you have a door chain, remember to use it before opening the door. If not, we recommend that you install one. Ask the caller for his ID and check it carefully. Ask them to wait outside and close the door – genuine callers will not mind. Speed dial to 101. The call will be answered in person and immediately by a trained police call handler. They will check with the company that the person at the door is genuine. If it is not or they suspect there is something suspicious, the operator will be able to send you to the police. Do not let anyone enter the property until you are happy with who they are.
Read more:Three men charged with drug offenses after stopping and searching vehicle in East Belfast Read more:Detectives renew call for information on 20th anniversary of Baby Carrie’s murder To receive the latest news directly in your inbox, subscribe to our free newsletter.
