By KATIE ANDERSON – kanderson@shawmedia.com

MARENGO – The McHenry County’s Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to be on the look out for burglars who use a home repair ruse to enter homes.

Earlier this month, a couple in Marengo was robbed by a group of people claiming to be roofers. The traveling thieves stole money and personal checks after they had been invited into the couple’s home, a news release from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said.

On Aug. 19, the supposed roofers went to the 20700 block of Ridge view Lane and knocked on the door of a husband and wife who were in their 80s, said McHenry County Sheriff’s Lt. James Popovits.

One of them distracted one of the victims outside while another distracted the other victim inside the house, the news release said.

After the offenders left, the couple realized money and personal checks were gone.

The sheriff’s department receives occasional reports of groups of people who travel the area pretending to be home repair workers and scaming unsuspecting residents, Lt. Popovits said.

These people commonly will knock at a door and say that they were driving by and noticed an aspect of the victim’s home needs work. The alleged professional will often then ask for water or something inside the residence, or ask the victim to come outside, the sheriff’s department said.

Once victims are distracted, the burglars will go into the home and search for valuables or money.

These types of burglars usually drive impeccably clean pickup trucks that might also have magnet signs attached with their company information with an out of state area code or 800 telephone number.

These types of scam artists may also enter written contracts with victims and then ask for more money after a job such as seal coating or roof repairs is completed, Lt. Popovits said.

Tips to protect yourself include: Do not have unsolicited work done on your residence and, if someone wants to do work at your residence that was not solicited wait one day to speak to family members; wait a second day to speak to friends and neighbors about it; and wait a third day to see if the alleged repair people come back to push you to get the work done.

During the“waiting” period the sheriff’s department also advises residents contact a local reputable company to obtain a price comparison.

Lt. Popovits said the burglary on Aug. 19 was not related to the string of burglaries that occurred in Marengo earlier this month.