OK. They should call it the "Roma Ruse." Roma/Romani is the original term, correct?

Emily Google this the term it is used by everyone "gypsy scams in chicago"

I used to live upstairs in a duplex a family of "Gypsies" and they would go to bars late night and sell roses they put a Psychic sign in the front window until I had the Landlord remove it. It got to the point where I recorded their wireless phone conversations of them plotting to steal equipment from local businesses.

Call a Spade a Spade!

I agree with Emily that calling it a "gypsy ruse" is an unnecessary ethnic slur that has been introduced here. The Homewood Police bulletin did not identify it as such, and there's nothing in the description of the suspects to indicate that "gypsies" are involved -- the suspects are described as Hispanic or Middle Eastern. It's a scam leading to a burglary -- plain and simple.

"Gypsy Ruse" is a term taken from the police reports. I cannot, however, disagree with your contention. In efforts to maintain sensitivity we have decided to retract the term in favor of "Ruse Burglary."

Thanks for expressing your opinion.

Thanks, Ryan. You make the editor in me very happy.

In the first place, the ethnicity is only being guessed at. They could be Roma--or Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Moroccan, Algerian, Mexican--or Polish or Jewish. A simple warning with the description of the ruse should be sufficient. What's wrong with you that you have to label people? So you're keeping a beady eye out for swarthy gypsies and clean-cut Ted Bundy taps you on the shoulder. Don't be simple-minded.

@KLB: You took the words right out of my head.

That's what I was referring to!

Unfortunatly some older people do keep their money under a matress or in their closet. What troubles me is why are people so trustworthy of some person that wants to enter your home or wants you to come outside. I have called the Homewood Police a number of times over the years if I thought there was something amiss. The police have always responded, called back and thanked me or gave me an update at my door. Our police department is wonderful.

Who would keep money in a mattress? Who would keep money in the bank? A refresher video on how the banking system works... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCu3fpg83TY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

It's the least I could do. Everything should be taken care of now.

What you're missing, Ooftus Gooftus, is that placing the emphasis in the notification on the ethnicity of the perpetrators (inaccurately, at that!) actually detracts from the warning. It lowers people's ability to protect themselves because they're more likely to look out for the scam artists based on their appearance, not on their behavior. KLB summed it up nicely: "So you're keeping a beady eye out for swarthy gypsies and clean-cut Ted Bundy taps you on the shoulder. "

It makes sense to describe the ethnicity of the man who robbed the house on Evergreen Road, because this is a known suspect operating in this area. But associating the scam in general with an ethnic group is counterproductive. If I were a burglar wanting to use this scam, I'd be enlisting a well-dressed, well-spoken white female as an accomplice, knowing that people are now on their guard for darker-skinned males approaching them, when really we ought to be aware of ANYONE luring us into our back yard while the front door is open and unobserved.