BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Cheryl and Randy Lucash sat on their porch in Belleville feeling violated Wednesday, nearly a week after their home was robbed during a door scam.
Just after 6 p.m. last Tuesday evening, they told 5 On Your Side two men with yellow vests knocked on their door off North 42nd St. in Belleville.
They added the men claimed to be with a gas company and told Cheryl she needed to evacuate the house immediately because of a gas leak.
She asked for ID and one man told her his boss had it and said he wanted to speak to the "man of the house." That's when the two pushed their way in.
The men then went rummaging through multiple rooms to check for the so-called leak.
Cheryl went outside out of fear of the explosion.
The two men then said they would be right back, and jumped in a red pickup truck with a covered license plate.
Cheryl's billfold with money, identification, and jewelry are now gone.
"When I was young, there was gas that got into the water pipes in Belleville and there were houses that were just exploding," Lucash said.
The couple notes that they fell victim earlier in the year to a similar scam when a man came and wanted to trim their trees to which they agreed. They claimed the person, with a family, washed their house without permission and scammed Randy out of money for not doing the work.
That person stole a wallet and jewelry and tried Lucash' credit card. The person had been arrested before previously.
The Better Business Bureau has a few tips to ease that uncertainty.
- Ask the salesperson for written materials and contact INFO.
- Check their ID and verify the company or the vehicle.
- Don't open your door or fall for high-pressure scare tactics.
The couple said they would look into cameras and possibly a firearm for protection.
"If anyone's thinking about coming by. Don't bother. We are out of everything," Cheryl Lucash said.
The Belleville police department is investigating.
The assistant chief of police stated he was unaware of any similar incidents in the area.