Water scam

Two scam artists posing as water inspectors took advantage of an 85-year-old Eckford Street woman on Feb. 25 by snatching her cash, wallet, and credit cards.

In the latest version of an old scam, the thieves knocked on the victim’s door at around 3:15 pm and told her that they needed to check her water pipes, which they claimed were contaminated.

Their ruse fooled the victim, who welcomed the men into her home, which is between Norman and Meserole avenues.

Once inside, the con men split up to investigate her bathroom and kitchen.

Ten minutes later, they left with the victim’s wallet and credit cards.

Escape routes

North Brooklyn burglars scaled at least two fire escapes to break into apartments on Feb. 23. Here are the details:

• Thieves scurried up a fire escape in a Greenpoint Avenue building, between Franklin and West streets, pushed in a window, and snatched a laptop, iPhone, and a camera between 10:15 am and 11:35 pm.

• A thief used the same MO to snatch electronics and jewelry from a North Eighth Street apartment between 11 am and 8:20 pm, grabbing an Apple laptop, Apple monitor, and jewelry before fleeing from the residence, which is between Roebling and Havemeyer streets.

School dazed!

Computer crooks took Automotive HS for a ride last week, snatching at least four Apple laptops from the Bedford Avenue school:

• A thief snatched a MacBook as a class ended on Feb. 23 and the 26-year-old teacher was talking to one of her students for about two minutes at around 1:50 pm.

• Crooks heisted three Apple laptops from a locked classroom between Feb. 12 and Feb. 24.

The thieves got into the room and grabbed the computers before escaping from the school, which is between North 12th and Lorimer streets.

Phone gone

Three thugs heisted a 14-year-old girl’s cellphone on Feb. 25.

The thieves confronted the teen at the corner of North Fifth and Roebling streets at around 1:50 pm and asked her where she goes to school.

Before she could respond, one of the crooks yanked the T-Mobile phone and fled.

Purse snatch

Crooks heisted a reveler’s purse from a North Sixth Street bar on Feb. 22.

The thieves snatched the handbag from a bench in the venue, which is between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue, while the victim was chatting with friends at around 1 am.

When she looked for her bag — which contained credit cards and a passport — about half an hour later, it was gone, cops said.

— Ben Muessig

©2009 Community Newspaper Group