Warning: Beware Of Burglars Posing As City Workers
DENVER (CBS4) - Police are warning Denver residents to watch out for fraudulent city workers.
District 1 Community Resource Officer Robert Gibbs says two men made their way into a woman's home after claiming they were with the water department.
"They put some thought into it so that is why we wanted to get out in front of this right away," Gibbs said.
Gibbs was quick to alert homeowners about the scam in northwest Denver. He says the two men claimed they were there to check for dye in the water.
"We feel what they were doing was basically looking in her house to see what she had to possibly come back at a later time when she wasn't there to burglarize her home and take what they saw," Gibbs said.
Unfortunately, it's something police have seen before. In September an 84-year-old grandmother let a man also claiming to be with the water department inside her home. He convinced her to go outside while an accomplice burglarized the home.
Months earlier a woman in the West Highlands neighborhood was also robbed when two men dressed as construction workers forced their way inside her home.
Gibbs says homeowners should know what to look for. A city employee will always have identification with them and will likely be wearing clothing with city logos.
In addition, most city employees, if making home visits, will often be driving a vehicle that's clearly marked.
"If it doesn't feel right, it's probably not right. You can ask to see identification that they work for the city, and if they are not city workers they are not going to stick around," Gibbs said.
Karen Morfitt Joined the CBS4 team as a reporter in 2013. She covers a variety of stories in and around metro Denver. Connect with her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @karenmorfitt or email her tips.
