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Authorities encourage local residents to be extremely cautious when dealing with strangers who approach their house. There have been recent reports of people posing as utility company employees in order to gain entry into homes. These imposters may try to fool the homeowner into paying for services not actually performed, or they may take money and valuables from the house while the landowner is not looking, according to the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC).
In some instances nothing is taken at that time. They simply survey the house noting such things as the location of valuables, security features, and the number of occupants in the home. These people often target the elderly and other vulnerable individuals.
The imposters usually work in pairs. While one distracts the homeowner, the other will burglarize the house. Victims may not realize they have been robbed until after the imposters flee.
Maxie Rozell, Security Coordinator for the REC, offers these suggestions to help avoid being victimized by strangers:
Require positive identification and be sure of their intentions before opening doors.
When answering the door, be sure other doors into the house are locked.
Ask the people to wait outside while calling their office to verify who they are and why they are at your house.
Get a description of the people and their vehicle’s license plate number.
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