Local residents should be alert for thieves posing as utility workers who knock on people’s doors to get inside the house, according to Jamaica Plain’s District E-13 Police Station.
In a July 27 incident in JP, two men knocked on the victim’s door and said they needed to check the water pressure in her home. When she let them inside, one man distracted her in the kitchen while the other man allegedly entered her bedroom and stole jewelry. The suspects are described as two white, non-Hispanic men, one of them wearing a black baseball cap.
When unknown people knock on the door, police advise keeping the door closed and saying from inside, “I have been advised not to let anyone into this house.” If you have any doubts or concerns about the identity of the people knocking, you can always call 911 and ask a police officer to investigate them.
Utility companies almost always schedule an appointment ahead of time for work inside a home. And all utility company employees carry ID cards. If someone knocking at the door claims to be from a utility company, you can ask them to make an appointment and to show their ID card.
Police also recommend having someone else with you during any visit by utility workers, such as a family member or neighbor.
For more information on preventing these crimes, known as “door scams,” contact the E-13 Community Service Office at 617-343-5624.
Information courtesy District E-13 Community Service Office.