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Officials tell public to be vigilant for utility impostors

The guy knocking on the door says he’s with the utility company and he needs to check something inside your home.

There’s that split second of confusion — caught off guard by the visit, you don’t know whether you’re opening the door to a necessary repair or welcoming trouble.

It’s no secret that sometimes thieves pretend to work for the electric, water or gas company to gain access into homes they plan to rob, especially the homes of elderly people.

It’s an ugly trend growing so quickly that utility companies as well as state agencies have formed the coalition The Keystone Alliance to Stop Utility Impostors to send a united message to homeowners: Be vigilant.

In Butler on Tuesday, a lineup of titleholders spoke on the topic, including Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, Mayor Tom Donaldson, Police Chief Ron Brown and president of the Better Business Bureau of Western Pennsylvania Warren King.

“There are going to be victims out there,” King said, noting this type of fraud now is topped only by identity theft of those reported federally in 2014.

Goldinger said it’s hard to say exactly how many people in the county fall victim to this type of crime because people are often embarrassed to report it.

However, Goldinger said reporting the crime — even if you slam the door on the scam artist — is the best way to keep your neighbors safe.

“When we become aware of it, we do prosecute,” Goldinger said. “And if the victim is over 60 years old, this crime carries a mandatory sentence of one year in prison.”

Representatives of Columbia Gas and Pennsylvania American Water said the need for utility workers to go into homes is rare. Most repairs and tests can be done from the outside.

Visits that require access into homes are usually done by appointment with numerous notifications in advance.

And there’s no circumstance that would require a homeowner to directly give money or gift cards to a utility worker.

“Unless there is an emergency, utility workers rarely show up at a customer’s home without previous communication from the utility or an appointment,” said Mark Smith, Pennsylvania American Water’s Western Pennsylvania field operations manager.

“Should someone knock on your door and claim to be from a local utility, do not let them inside without seeing proper official company identification with their photo and company logo on it.”

Legitimate utility company representatives generally arrive in vehicles marked with logos and uniforms or hats and T-shirts with the company logo. They also carry photographic identification.

And finally, Scott Waitevertch, Columbia Gas manager of government affairs, said, “If customers have any doubt about the identity or intentions of an individual or individuals at their door, they should call 911 immediately.”

Legitimate utility workers will wait for a police officer to show up and verify their identity. Generally, impostors won’t wait for the officers to arrive.

“If you don’t know and you think maybe you should call the police, you should have already called,” said Capt. David Dalcamo.

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