Fort Worth warns residents after men posing as water utility employees rob customer
The City of Fort Worth warned the public Friday about men who may pose as water utility employees to access homes and rob residents.
The city water utility recently received a complaint about an elderly customer who was robbed by two men claiming to be city contractors.
The men posing as employees told the customer they hit her main water line, contaminating the water, and that it needed to be tested. The incident happened Wednesday in east Fort Worth.
“Customers should be aware that water employees rarely need access to a resident’s home, unless the resident initiates the complaint with the department. Laboratory staff take water quality samples from an outside faucet,” said city officials in a news release Friday.
Residents who are approached by anyone who say they represent or work for the city should ask to see photo identification, city officials said. All water employees drive marked vehicles, wear uniforms with the city logo, and carry a city-issued photo identification badge.
Individuals who are falsely claiming to be city employees are committing fraud, city officials said. Residents are asked to immediately report incidents to the Fort Worth police by calling their non-emergency number at 817-392-4222. They are also asked to call Fort Worth Water at 817-392-4477 to make them aware of any such incident.
