Flim-Flam Men Rob Elderly Couple

There are two things you must know to be safe inside your home this summer.  The crime alert comes after a couple of phony salesmen robbed an 80-year-old couple last week.  The News On 6's crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports Tulsa Police believe the suspects have done it before and will do it again.

A  man in his 50's and a younger man, he claims is his son, talk their way into a home, hold up a huge piece of linoleum to block the victim's view, while a third person slips inside and steals money from a back bedroom.

Ed and Eloise had a knock on the door last Thursday.  The man on the porch said his name was Bob Watson and he used to trim trees in the neighborhood.

"He said, ‘let me shake your hand.' I opened the door, stuck my hand out and he pushed right on in," said Ed.

Ed and Eloise were sitting in their chairs when the man and a younger guy claimed they were opening up a used furniture and linoleum store and they stretched a piece of linoleum across the living room, blocking their view of the front door.

"Then, I saw kind of a blur go by and it was up high enough, I could see that much of the storm door and I said, somebody is in the house. ‘Oh no, oh, no, it's just us, just us,'" said Eloise.

The men left and Eloise went to the bedroom and someone had indeed been in her house and opened all her dresser drawers and taken their money.

"They took $63 out of my billfold. We have a can, it's almost empty now cause it's for gas money and prices being so high, they took $20 out of that and he's got two cans full of quarters and nickels and they took those," said Eloise.

Police told them if they'd tried to get up, the men probably would've hurt them both.  Ed has advice for others who hear a knock on the door.

"Do not open the door. Do not allow anyone in your house.  It could be your preacher, your best friend, leave them out there," said Ed.

That may be a bit extreme, but that is the first rule of staying safe at home:  never open your door to anyone you do not know, no matter what that person says.

The second rule is never pretend you are not home when someone knocks.  A burglar, looking for an empty house, may kick in your door and bad things could happen if you're inside pretending you're not there.