Group of thieves posed as land surveyors, burglarized Roswell couple’s home

FULTON COUNTY, Ga — Roswell police are trying to identify a group of thieves who posed as land surveyors to distract a retired couple while burglarizing their home.

The couple, who wished to remain anonymous, said two men showed up at their door in the Willow Springs subdivision last Thursday wearing reflective vests and carrying walkie-talkies.

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“They said they were hired by the city to do a survey on our house.” said the homeowners.

The supposed surveyors convinced the couple to lead them to the backyard and show them their property line. They also told the couple to wait for the arrival of a drone that would take video and measurements.

One of the phony surveyors said he would contact the drone operator on when he was to arrive. In hindsight, the couple suspects hewas actually talking to someone ransacking their home, looking for valuables.

“They sent another crew of one or two to search the house, and on the walkie-talkie he was asking, ‘How much more time do you need?,’” said the homeowners.

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They said became suspicious when one of the bogus surveyors said they had been hired by a Chinese man who bought the Roswell Country Club. But by the time they called police, the burglars were gone and had snatched valuable jewelry and family heirlooms.

“Their intention is to distract the homeowners, move them to a different area where they can potentially get inside the home without the homeowners being aware of their presence.” said Roswell Police Officer Tim Lupo.

The homeowners say they’ve learned a lesson, to never to assume someone is who they claim to be. They will always be skeptical if someone shows up to work or do a unscheduled survey.

“They were so professional. I said to myself, why did I let them fool me? The policeman said (that) the scenario you’re telling me, I would have believed them.” said the homeowner.

Police are seeking any witnesses or video of the incident, and the vehicle the suspects were driving.

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