You hear a knock at the door and answer.
Standing there is someone saying they work for the electric, gas, phone or cable company.
Before letting them in your home, and especially before exchanging money or information with them, make sure they’re legitimate, police officials warn.
An incident in Orion Township last week where a senior citizen was robbed in this kind of scenario has Oakland County Sheriff Deputies (OCSD) on the lookout for scams like these that pop up each spring.
On Feb. 25 at 2:50 p.m., two men allegedly posing as Detroit Edison workers arrived at the 78-year-old woman’s home on Silverbell Road saying they needed to shut the power off in the basement because they were working on a pole in the area.
One of the suspects asked her, ‘Did you get the note I left?? according to police reports.
The victim said no, but led them to the fuse box in the basement. One of the suspects checked wire on the box while the other suspect disappeared upstairs, police reports said.
The suspect still in the basement told the woman, ‘we are giving you $50 for your trouble. Do you have change??
The woman then went up to a china cabinet where she put the hundred dollar bill and got change, which she brought to the man in the basement.
The woman then asked the two men for identification. They said they would go out and get it, but never returned.
When the woman checked her china cabinet, $300 was missing.
The first suspect is described as a white male, 38 years old, five foot ten inches tall, 165 pounds, thin build and a goatee. He was reportedly wearing a black baseball hat, black nylon jacket and grey pants.
The second suspect was a white male, around 28-30 years old, five foot seven inches tall, 150 pounds with a thin build. He wore a bright yellow jacket and dark pants.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said in a statement, ‘Posing as a utility is a felony, and doing it to bilk innocent seniors out of money is outrageous. Fortunately, the victim was unharmed.?
According to Det. Steve Powell of the OCSD Orion substation, these instances are all too common, especially as the weather warms and crews start going door-to-door.
Some of the scams Powell has seen of this nature include ‘work? crews saying they’ll get started as soon as they go up to the store for supplies–after you supply the money for them, of course.
Shoddy workmanship is also a problem. Some crews come and say they’ll fill a hole in your driveway, but will put nothing more than sand in it, take the money and leave.
‘We’re looking for some of that to start up again,? Powell said. ‘They prey on people’s fears. People want to trust someone. They use this to gain people’s confidence.?
People impersonating major utility companies are easier to spot than these kinds of scams, according to Powell.
Legit workers are quickly identified via badges, IDs and their vehicles.
‘These things do occur. You should ask to see identification. Look for a work vehicle,? Powell said.
Persons wil any information should call the Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.