Houses spied on

Mistletoe sellers came back as burglars

Eastern bloc gangs often strike in broad daylight (symbolic photo)

(Bild: Kronen Zeitung)

Burglary gangs are using a nasty trick to spy on houses. The police advise caution and recommend reporting suspicious observations. Meanwhile, the term "dusk burglaries" has been adapted, as the perpetrators no longer only strike under cover of darkness.

They are considered to be kissing charms and are particularly popular in the run-up to Christmas: mistletoe. Burglary gangs in the Salzkammergut region are likely to have recognized this and misused the parasitic plants as "door openers".

Dog attacked
In the middle of the night, a woman in Traunkirchen was woken from her sleep by her dog barking. When she went to check, she saw a man giving chase. The day before, two men had allegedly rung the doorbell to sell mistletoe.

Perpetrators usually very friendly
"Yes, we know about this method," confirms Jürgen Schuster, district inspector from Gmunden. "Gangs of burglars are likely to use it to spy on houses". At the door, the mostly male perpetrators would be extremely friendly and polite - their perfidious plan: to see if anyone is at home or to find out who lives in the house.

"It's best to say straight away that you don't want to buy anything and close the door. If the person can't be dissuaded, pretend that you are calling someone or call for other - even fictitious - residents," advises Schuster.

Police advise caution
Harald Pölz from Crime Prevention Upper Austria advises a healthy dose of mistrust: "Anyone who observes strangers or cars should call the police and note the license plate number." October to February is the peak season for dusk burglaries - although the name has been changed. As the crooks, who mainly come from the East, no longer only strike in the dark, they have been called residential burglaries since this year, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office