Crime & Safety
NEWS NEARBY: Police Warn of 'Water Company Employee' Ruse
Frontenac police are warning residents not to fall victim to a robbery scheme playing out in the area after a resident was robbed of valuables by someone claiming to be a water company employee.
The following article was written by Kurt Greenbaum.
Although Monday's warning came from Frontenac police, as previously reported by Patch these scams where thieves pose as water company employees to gain access to your home have taken place around the St. Louis County area.
In Olivette, you should call the Olivette Police Department at 314-645-3000 or by dialing 911.
Frontenac police posted this warning to city residents Monday:
"Beware of fake water company employees trying to access your home. We have cautioned residents in the past about a scam occurring in other jurisdictions where a fake water company employee comes to the home of a female and states they are from the water company and they have to check out the water fixtures inside the home.
"The scam surfaces from time to time, and it goes something like this. The female allows the fake worker inside and they go to a water faucet in the bathroom. While running the water, the scammer sprays a supposed 'test solution' into the sink, but 'accidentally' gets it onto the female’s hand.
"The fake worker immediately advises her to remove her rings and go to another faucet and wash her hands. The crook tells her that 'the test solution is a kind of acid and must be washed off quickly.'
"Once the woman removes her rings and sets them down, the thief takes them and leaves the house. Never allow workers into your home unless you have called them — and you have verified their identities.
"True utility workers will have uniforms, identification badges, and some kind of officially marked truck or car. Most will also have some type of written work order with them. If you have any doubt as to who has come to your door purporting to be a repairman, please tell the worker that you are calling police to help confirm their identity, then close the door on them and wait for us to arrive.
"Legitimate utility workers will have no problem with this. The Police Department’s 24/7 phone number is 314-737-4600, or 9-1-1 if urgent.
"If it is possible for you to safely get the vehicle description (including license plate ) of the alleged worker, that information would be valuable to provide to the radio dispatcher."
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