Utility scam
claims thousands

One man lost a few hundred dollars, then a woman lost a similar amount of cash and her precious jewelry. A few days after that, a woman lost thousands of dollars.
Con artists posing as public utility workers victimized all three senior adults in recent weeks in the Northeast’s Somerton section.
According to Officer Mike O’Hanlon of the 7th Police District, the first reported incident occurred on Jan. 28 at about 1:15 p.m. on the 500 block of Selma St.
Two men dressed in dark jackets and carrying walkie-talkies knocked on the door of an 81-year-old man. When the victim came to the door, the suspects claimed to be water department employees. They said they had to check the water pressure inside the victim’s home. They even carried identification cards, O’Hanlon said.
Once inside, one of the crooks distracted the victim by having him "test" the water, while the other suspect slipped into a bedroom and grabbed the resident’s money.
The men left the home on foot. No vehicle was seen.
Both were described as white and in their early to middle 30s. Both were about 5 feet 8 inches tall and had average build. They were clean-shaven.
Two men fitting the same description used the same ruse to gain access to a home on the 15100 block of Endicott St. on Feb. 7 at about 10 a.m. That time, a 74-year-old woman was the victim.
On Feb. 12, an 82-year-old woman reported that one man fitting the above description came to her home on the 100 block of Napier St. at about 5:30 p.m. He, too, claimed to represent the water department.
The woman was outside sweeping snow at the time but allowed the man into her home to "test" her water pressure. Police believe a second crook sneaked inside and made off with the woman’s safe containing thousands of dollars.
The victim said the lead male had dark hair and wore a blue shirt.
No physical injuries have been reported in any of the cases.
Police ask that anyone who observes similar activity call 911 immediately. Residents who find themselves targeted by suspected scam artists should not let the fake utility workers inside their homes. Instead, they should keep their doors locked. In addition to calling 911, victims may wish to call City Hall at 215-686-1776 to ask if there are legitimate public utility crews working in the area. ••