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Article published the Sunday 19 August 2012 - Latest update : Sunday 19 August 2012

Heatwave thieves rob old people in Brittany capital

Catherine MacBride/Getty Images

By RFI

Two women took advantage of France's heatwave to rob old people in Brittany’s main city, Rennes, this week.

As temperatures soared and public service announcements warned elderly people to take special precautions, one of the thieves gained access to victims’ homes by pretending to be sent either by the town council or a charity to check on the occupant’s well-being.

Meanwhile, the other would steal jewellery, whose loss was sometimes not noticed until some time later.

Four such robberies were reported between 14 and 17 August, police say.

They stress that local councils contact people who may be at risk from the heat by telephone and never kock on their doors without prior warning.

tags: Brittany - Crime - France - heatwave - Rennes - Robbery - Theft - Weather
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Theft and Deception

Submitted by Bob Nelson (not verified) on Mon, 2012-08-20 16:15.

Reminds me of what I heard in Las Vegas about 10 years ago. A family would come to the door and say they had done work there or ask for water to take medicine then, after the door was open, one of the kids would run through the house with the mother chasing the kid and grabbing anything of value that was loose.

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