Alert after bogus BT workers target vulnerable people
WEST LANCASHIRE residents are being warned over a potential doorstep con involving fake BT workers.
Lancashire police said they had received two reports of cases involving men claiming to be from BT and trying to gain entry to homes. The men were believed to have deliberately selected residents who were vulnerable and living alone.
The men were not carrying ID and were not given access by the residents in these cases. Police are warning people in the area to remain vigilant though, additionally because of cards posted through letterboxes referring to missed visits from engineers.
The cards are faked, but designed to give the impression that genuine engineers are visiting the area.
One such card featured the BT Openreach logo, along with a hand-written job reference number and time of visit to the house. But the card also had a printed date stamp of February 2008.
The con comes after similar suspicious activity was recorded in Burscough and nearby Maghull.
A spokesman for Lancashire police warned: “Please make your loved ones aware and remind them that they do not need to let strangers in to their house.
“Always ask for ID, and if in doubt, call the company which they claim to represent (But don’t call any phone numbers they give you themselves).
“If you have someone trying to gain entry to your property, you can call us on 999, or report any other suspicious sightings on 101.”