1 February 2008
Householders have been warned about home scammers such as distraction burglars posing as water firm employees.
According to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), extra vigilance is required after new government statistics suggested that the problem was widespread in the UK.
The Home Office found that there had been 12,000 bogus caller incidents last year - around 50% of which saw imposters saying that they were from 'the water board'.
Dame Yve Buckland, National Chair of CCW, said: "This is a particularly disturbing crime because it deliberately targets the weak and vulnerable; victims of these crimes are most likely to be older people who live alone.
"People need to understand that they are entirely within their rights to turn a visitor away if they feel uncomfortable or are unsatisfied with the information presented."
Additionally, CCW is advising customers that they must call 999 if the 'water board' caller becomes aggressive - and to always turn them away if they fail to produce ID, which householders are perfectly within their rights to request.
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