Going through self quarantine while there seems to be no end in sight to this deadly coronavirus pandemic can be stressful to so many. You would never expect that people would try to take advantage of the situation and make things very difficult for others right now, especially the senior citizens and elderly who can be more vulnerable than others during this time.

A 92-year-old woman living in Oldham, Greater Manchester, became a victim to a shameful crime where conmen came to her house pretending to offer help.

The thieves approached her doorstep and acted friendly, convincing her that one of her neighbors passed away due to COVID-19 and they were offering to clean her house to gain entry. As reported by Independent, a spokesperson said, "Two offenders knocked on the victim’s door and falsely explained that the woman’s neighbor had died of coronavirus. In light of this, they offered to clean her house for her and presented themselves as a friendly, helping hand."

Image source: Pixabay (Used As Representational Image)

The elderly woman believed them and let them into her house. The spokesperson added, "However, whilst the woman was fetching the men some cleaning products, the two offenders stole a number of items from the victim’s house. These belongings included a purse, money and jewelry."

Although she was left unharmed, the woman was shaken and "distraught."

The police are trying to get all the help they can from the community to find the thieves, who were dressed in black with one having an olive complexion and the other donning a bobble hat.

"This is an absolutely appalling crime, which has taken advantage of a vulnerable and elderly woman at a time where we, as a society, should be looking out for her. This is the lowest of the low," said Chief Inspector Trevor Harrison. "I would make a direct appeal to anyone who was in the local area around the time of the incident to please get in touch with us at the earliest opportunity. Sometimes, even the smallest detail can progress our investigation and help us bring those responsible to justice."

Metro quoted the chief inspector saying, "Officers will continue to support the 92-year-old woman at this upsetting time and I want to stress that we are treating this as an absolute priority. I know the public will support us in this."

The ongoing pandemic has resulted in a number of crimes taking place where burglars give some excuse and gain entry into the homes of unsuspecting residents.

Pensioners in Barcelona were warned after two women and a man dressed themselves up in white coats and pretended to be doctors. They rung a resident's bell and said they were going around the neighborhood conducting medical checks, but he suspected that they were not real doctors, according to Metro.

The police in the UK have also warned people of thieves who offer to shop for the elderly so that they can stay safe at home during the pandemic. But once they give them the money, the thieves don't return.

"We have recently received a small number of reports of individuals offering to go shopping for the elderly within our community as a means to then keep their money," the Metropolitan Police in Camden, UK said on Twitter. "As ever, please ensure you or those more vulnerable in your circles treat such invitations with caution."

During this time, it's best to inform your loved ones, especially the aged and vulnerable, to be cautious. "Anxiety in the older age group is particularly high and those older people without the internet are most vulnerable to becoming victims," Joel Lewis from Age UK said, according to The Guardian. "While we don’t want them not to seek help from the honest community volunteer groups that have sprung up around the country, we want to warn them to be cautious: don’t let anyone into your home or hand over money to people offering to do shopping."

Disclaimer: Information about COVID-19 is changing constantly, and it is important to provide the most recent and accurate updates in these blogs. However, considering the frequency in developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication. For this reason, it is important that you regularly check online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization.

Featured image and facebook image credited to​ Pixabay (Used As Representational Image)