Crime & Safety

Phony Utility Workers Prowl Wilson, Police Say

Police probing two incidents involving men claiming to work for water, gas companies.

Police in Wilson are investigating two separate incidents where men talked their way into borough homes Tuesday claiming to work for utility companies.

At around 3 p.m. Tuesday, a man came to a home on the 800 block of Miller Street, telling the 89-year-old occupant he was a state water inspector and that the home's water was contaminated.

Police say the man turned on faucets on the first floor and the basement and claimed to perform tests on the water. He told the resident he'd be back, but never returned.

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Nothing appeared to be missing from the house. The man—Hispanic, in his mid-30s and wearing a dark shirt and pants—had an ID badge that said "state inspector."

Later in the day, around 8 p.m., two men knocked on the door of a home on the 2200 block of Ferry Street saying they were from UGI and wanted to help the residents save money on their gas bill.

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When they asked to see a copy of the most recent bill, the residents became suspicious and told the men to leave.

The men were both black, and spoke with Jamaican accents, police said. They wore yellow hats and had UGI tags around their necks, although UGI later told police the men were not their employees.

Police remind residents to call utilty companies if they are suspicious of workers, or to contact the police themselves. Earlier this year, men claiming to be water workers robbed a woman in the borough.

Anyone with information about either Tuesday incident can contact Det. Christian Meehan at 610-258-8542.


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