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Sharp rise in crimes against elderly

Other News Materials 14 August 2008 06:45 (UTC +04:00)

Crimes against those over 60 are going up in Singapore, police statistics revealed on Thursday, dpa reported.

While crimes overall increased only 1 per cent for the January-to- June period over the corresponding period of 2007, robberies and thefts targeting the elderly jumped 25 per cent, to 145 cases.

Crimes against older people, especially women, such as hold-ups in elevators, typically happen as they go about their daily routine, a report in the Straits Times said.

Many robberies take place in broad daylight, and police said 70 elderly people were cheated of valuable such as phones and jewellery in various scams.

In one ruse used on 11 senior citizens, swindlers pretended to be electricians conducting flat inspections. Once inside the home, the unsuspecting victim was asked to help by holding the wires. The thieves used the diversion to pick up valuables from around the apartment.

Police and the National Crime Prevention Council have held sessions in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil informing the elderly on ways to stay safe.

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