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Fake Property Surveyors Accused In Molino Home Burglary
December 20, 2015
Molino residents have reported burglaries linked to fake property surveyors.
A female approached a resident in his garage explaining that she was surveying in the area, according to the victim. She asked the victim and his wife to walk with her and help her find the back corner of his property. As they walked. another person that had apparently been hiding in a vehicle entered the house through the garage and stole numerous items out of the house.
When the female resident told the suspect that she left something on the stove and needed to go back inside, the fake female surveyor pretended to take a call on her cell phone but apparently signaled her partner inside the house.
Anyone with information on such a scam should call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Comments
28 Responses to “Fake Property Surveyors Accused In Molino Home Burglary”
This is a gypsy scam. This is what they always do. They will always be in a white vehicle suv or truck. The white trucks are men who are driveway pavers and will steal from the elderly. The person who went inside was probably her child. They are out there people and they need to be stopped. It will always be an elderly person. I hope they find them but they probably wont. Always be on the lookout for anyone in a white vehicle.
Personally knowing the victims, they were elderly. It makes me upset to think that the people commenting saying they should have known might not have realized it at the time if they were in the situation yet they are saying this about others. Coming from the victim to myself it sounds real. As if it were a actual situation. Just think what you would have done yourself and don’t forget to factor the age difference in there. Thank you.
Property appraisers are classified differently from almost all surveyors, as property appraisers are direct employees of government. Since I am a surveyor and not a government employee, I can’t speak to what appraisers can and cannot do in the course of their work.
A surveyor could not legally be contracted for the purpose of surveillance activities. A surveyor is not qualified as a private investigator, and shouldn’t try to behave as a PI.
A surveyor is required to report any suspected child abuse or vulnerable adult abuse, just as is required of every adult in Florida. An ethical case could be made for reporting observed animal abuse. Things like code enforcement issues are outside the interest of what a surveyor does in their residential work. Surveyors just don’t care about tall lawns or junk cars.
What residential surveyors do care about is delineating land boundaries accurately. Getting boundaries right is essential to protecting the land rights of property owners, not just for the property being surveyed, but for all the adjoining properties as well.
This scam hurts the people in Molino who were victimized, it hurts all of their neighbors by making them feel unsafe and suspicious of every stranger who appears to be working outdoors, and it hurts all of the surveyors who go forth daily to make an honest living in a profession they love.
These perpetrators are doing a disgusting thing for which I hope they are quickly apprehended. Until that happens, I’d hope that residents and surveyors can keep cool and civil heads.
If someone shows up in your yard claiming to be a surveyor and you just don’t feel right about it, don’t hesitate to call a LEO. A real surveyor isn’t going to run when you call for the law.
So I wonder how often surveyors and/or property appraisers are enlisted by LEO to go “do their thing” and report on what they saw “outback” ?
No warrants required if you send in the right people.
I’ve been working in Lamm surveying for over 20 years knock on peoples doors I give business cards flyers contact information have been known to show my ID Florida drivers license and as always respectful and polite however if you’re not home or don’t answer your door I will go in your fenced in yard to do my job I usually leave the door knocker saying I was there I love my job and I love people but if I let you know I’m there and working I fully expect you to keep an eye on me and for that reason I don’t look around in your yard or look in your shed if somebody is doing that they are probably casing the place if you feel suspicious about somebody’s activities call the police a police officer will check our credentials check our background history and make sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing 7 short be safe and verify verify verify Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I am a licensed Surveyor & Mapper with 34+ years of experience. Despite the knowledge of the no trespass law (Ch. 472), I would NEVER go into any property or adjacent property owners yard without making attempt to contact them for permission. As a property owner myself, I am suspicious about anyone in/near my yard. And I, like others commenting here, have dogs and self defense methods at the ready. I am allergic to hot flying lead…
Having surveyed in this area for 15 + years, I can tell everyone right now. A surveyor will never ask you to show them a property line or corner. If you offer to show us, we will of course be glad for you to show us, but we will never ask.
On a side note, I hate it when people are hostile with me right of the bat, please give us a moment to legitimize ourselves before you start shooting….
Great, another reason for people to distrust me while I try to get my job done. We already have to deal with just about everyone either thinking we’re trying to rip them off or that we’re undercover cops trying to bust them. I don’t really make enough to keep justifying the hassle of just trying to to my job.
Kimberly some people don’t have an access to their backyard only via thru the house, ours use to be like that & nobody has any right going thru my house& if you tried, you would be met with maybe a 30/30 or the dog or both. Some poor guy thought he was gonna show me how febreeze worked & he actually had the nerve to walk down my driveway, never saw a vehicle, well let’s just say he didn’t get to fool me
The same happen to my family in 2014, l person (woman) said they was doing a Gulf Power poll in my back yard. . for us to show her the line. some one came or was in the house and took…a lots….if this is the same I sure wish they would find them..
No way, bad people in Molino.
As low life as this is at least they didn’t physically hurt either victim.
Anyone driving anything but an ECSD with blue lights on top better stay off my property
Although I know and understand the law pertaining to surveyors, I always watch everyone who “wanders” around my house, ECUA, County, Cox, UPS, etc., etc. Although many may feel they should have the courtesy to notify you it is almost impossible for them to notify or ask permission since they too work when you work. I’m surprised Kimberly did nor mention the Statutes which apply to surveyors. The following is for your info.
The 2015 Florida Statutes
Title XXXII
REGULATION OF PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
Chapter 472
LAND SURVEYING AND MAPPING
472.029 Authorization to enter lands of third parties; conditions.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Surveyors and mappers or their subordinates may go on, over, and upon the lands of others when necessary to make surveys and maps or locate or set monuments, and, in so doing, may carry with them their agents and employees necessary for that purpose. Entry under the right granted by this subsection does not constitute trespass, and surveyors and mappers and their duly authorized agents or employees so entering are not liable to arrest or to a civil action by reason of such entry; however, this subsection does not give authority to registrants, subordinates, agents, or employees to destroy, injure, damage, or move any physical improvements on lands of another without the written permission of the landowner.
Compares to many other schemes, I think some comments should be deemed uncalled for. Of all those that gullible people fall for, this one is a bit more sophisticated.
This is a new scam to me. I hope you find these people!
Fake business cards and fake magnetic signs are very cheap Kimberly, so in my opinion I would not let you on my property just based on those two supposedly pieces of identification
Only a fool with a death wish would not get permission to survey prior to entering any property.
It’s because of people like this that I distrust anyone showing up at my house uninvited. The ones I call better have a good I.D. as well.
“You are the surveyor. You find the back corner.”
Actually, most surveyors are with private companies rather than the county.
Many (but not all) private surveyors do have their company logo on their vehicles.
Any genuine surveyor should be willing to identify the company they are working for, and to provide identification and contact information to allow a landowner to verify that they are actual surveyors.
A genuine surveyor looking for a corner will have a shovel and a metal locator in hand or on board their vehicle within easy reach.
Most of these metal locators are about 3 feet long and are bright yellow.
As a side note, surveyors do in fact have the general legal right of entry to private property to perform their work, whether the landowner consents or not. This right exists under Florida Statute 472.029.
If a landowner is suspicious that a surveyor is not genuine, the owner should not hesitate to contact law enforcement.
Hopefully, the news coverage of these criminals will bring this scam to a quick end which will also include the arrest of the perpetrators.
My rotty would have love for this to happen at our house.
This was an elderly couple and that’s usually who the scammers try to hit. This couple had over $10,000 worth of stuff stolen (jewelry) since the lady was cooking and washing dishes and had taken it off. Pretty pathetic to prey on the elderly. Grew up in Molino but so glad I got out since the druggies and thieves took over.
In todays world you need to treat everything as a Scam.Verify everything.
I am a female Land Surveyor in the Crestview area, and this really irritates me. We do ask the neighbors for access to the back yard; property corners do not always fall on our client’s side of the fence. When talking to neighbors, I do show a business card and usually the company truck is in the front with our logo. We are trying to do our job and this is disheartening for my business.
I’m sure we were about to get hit with the same couple in August. They definitely weren’t afraid that people were home and they walked the property for some time before we were alerted. They had a backpack and Dewalt tools in the trunk of a black Kia Soul. It wasn’t until I got a phone call and told my teenagers that I was calling the police. Tried saying they were here to see if house was up to code. Then tried saying they were from Brighthouse.
If they don’t show you any ID, are not in a truck that says Escambia County, they are not surveyors. There are some private companies that do surveys but you do not have to allow them on your property without calling the company first. Just a thought.
That is unbelievable that anyone would fall for that!
I am an educated woman with a psychology degree and I’d like to think I’m pretty intelligent but for the life of me I can’t think that far outside the box to help myself sometimes. Imagine if these criminals had real jobs. I guess if you are a criminal and need money you think of creative ways to get it. Silly me,I just put in for overtime.