Scottsdale burglars posing as salesmen

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - Neighbors in Scottsdale are planning on boosting their security after more than a dozen homes and cars were broken into in the past two weeks.

Scottsdale police said burglars are looking for easy targets near Hayden and Thomas roads.

Thieves posing as salesmen are knocking on neighborhood doors and peeking in windows. If the coast is clear, the bad guys force their way in and steal items.

Unfortunately for homeowners, the thieves’ strategy is working. Eleven homes and four cars have been burglarized since the start of this month.    

Police are warning neighbors by giving out "burglary prevention" information.

Officers are warning them to be on the lookout for suspicious people in their community who look like they don’t belong.

Neighbors ABC15 spoke with said this threat has them changing how they handle strangers at their door.

"I have to let people know, whoever comes to the door, I have to let them know that I am home; even though I want to ignore them," neighbor Zinnie Poncini said.

"I can't believe that it's come to this point," Poncini’s daughter Renee Anderson said. "It is disturbing."

A few residents said they are now going to add home security systems for protection against this increase in crime.