Detectives from the Montgomery County 5th District Investigative Section are investigating an incident involving a utility scam in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
On March 8, at approximately 2:43 p.m., officers responded to an address in the unit block of Highland Avenue for the report of a burglary. The 93-year-old female victim told police that she saw a male suspect on her front porch wearing a white hard hat and a black jacket with an unknown emblem on the front. The suspect claimed to work for the water company and that there had been a gas leak that had affected the water in the area. The suspect and victim then went to the basement of the residence to check the main valve. While there, the victim was distracted and the suspect, along with a second suspect who had entered while the others were downstairs, removed items of value from the house and left the scene.
Information provided by the victim and her neighbors led to the following descriptions:
Suspect #1 is described as a Hispanic male, 5-08 tall, 145 pounds, approximately 30 years old.
Suspect #2 is described as a Hispanic male, 6-00 tall, 180-200 pounds, approximately 30 years old.
The vehicle involved in this incident is described as an older model small to mid-size sedan with flat black paint and dark tinted windows.
Police warn residents to be aware that all utility workers will carry proper identification. If a worker is unable to provide proper identification, do not allow him or her to enter your residence. Additionally, you may check with your utility companies to determine whether the company has workers in your area before allowing the worker to enter your home.
PEPCO customer service 202-833-7500 http://www.pepco.com
WSSC customer service 301-206-9772 http://www.wsscwater.com
Washington Gas customer service 703-750-1000 http://www.washgas.com
Montgomery County Detectives are asking that anyone with information about this incident or the suspect(s) involved to please contact the 5th District Investigative Section at 240-773-6237, or the non-emergency line at 301-279-8000. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County toll-free at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or enter a tip online. Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information provided to them that leads to an arrest and/or indictment for this felony crime.
There is also a utility "bill" scam that has occurred in the past in Takoma Park and across the jurisdictions. The call goes something like this: "Give me a credit card number immediately to settle your overdue bill or we’ll have to cut off your electricity."
And if you say you paid your bill? The response: "Your mailed check was unsigned and a credit card payment must be made immediately."
Then, the scammer may tell you that the fastest way to avoid having service turned off would be to go to Walgreens or CVS and buy a prepaid Green Dot Visa debit card, because that would be the same as cash. Once they had the card, they were to call the scammer back and provide them with the information on the debit card.
The caller, of course, is a scam artist posing as a representative of the local power company. The goal is to get your credit card number for a shopping spree—or worse, to set you up for identity theft. The scammers usually also ask for your utility account number or personal information, saying they need it for verification purposes.
No matter who your service providers are, or what the service is for, here’s what you need to know:
Most utilities will mail one, if not several, past-due notices before terminating service.
If a legitimate company representative calls, he or she will always have your account information on a computer screen. It’s possible you’ll be asked for an account number, so that the caller can confirm you’re the person with authority over the account. If this happens, provide just part of the number, such as the last four digits, and then ask the representative for the rest of the number. Scammers will usually hang up at this point.
You have the option not to engage with the caller. Instead, dial the customer service number listed on your bill and ask if there’s an issue with your account.
Please be aware and do not fall prey to scams or unwanted predicaments. If you believe you have been a victim of a scam, or potential scam, please contact the Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100.
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