Update: It’s not much of a description, but this is all MPD has on the suspect:
“a black male in his 50’s driving a white Honda CRV.”
An official warning to Montclair residents from Lt. Ken Miscia, Commander of the Community Policing Bureau:
The Police Department would like to make all residents aware of an incident that occurred today (02/23/09) where a person claiming to be a Township employee said that they needed to, “check our water and furnace – upstairs and downstairs”. This unidentified male subject tried to walk right into the house and was not driving a Township owned vehicle.
All residents are reminded to always ask for Identification from any person claiming to be a Township employee who is attempting to gain access to their home or apartment. All Township employees have Identification and are more than willing to show it to any resident who may have concerns
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If you have any concerns or questions, contact Lt. Miscia at (973) 509-4740. Read the story from the homeowner involved,who, luckily, didn’t get scammed – after the jump.
Councilor Nick Lewis forwarded Baristanet this email from the victim:
..thought I’d warn you that someone posing as a Montclair worker just tried (this morning around 10:40) to get into our house to “check our water and furnace – upstairs and downstairs”. I told my wife not to let him in and then called the Water Bureau who confirmed that they do not have workers going around checking people’s water. We had just heard about this same scam in Philly – my wife thought the man was a fake and after calling the Town, I do also. The man had no ID on him, tried to walk right into our house and was driving a regular car (not a township identified car).
It is getting scary out there.
how come there’s no description of this guy?
Is this Baristanet or Fearnet. This is getting worse than the 11 o’clock news. Cut it out.
Glad that the councilor is keeping you informed.
These guys are starting to get clever. Watch out for the 40 year old man wearing tight girl scout uniforms trying to sell cookies. I would have fallen for it, had I not known that Girl Scout cookies season is over
Be careful who YOU let in to your damp basement dwelling place, lasersimp. Demand that they can prove they’re from the “rest home,” don’t just let them in because they wear white coats and carry a big net.
Honestly, too, you don’t think that keeping folks informed is a public service? How warped are you anyway, mikey?
My precioussssssss!
That is scary and makes me angry. Smart of the man and his wife to be on the alert.
When I do open the front door, I have my cell phone at my ear –as if I was onthe phone when the bell rang. But – I rarely answer the door unless I recognize a car or repair truck or whatever.
How often does your doorbell ring when you aren’t expecting someone? Mine–not very often at all.
This is the reason I call all of my friends and let them know I’ll be at their door in five minutes. It gives them the opportunity to actually be on time and they know who is at the door.
I started doing this after one of my friends who lives by herself requested it. Now I just do it all the time, and ask others to do the same.
A sad world we live in today, even here in Mont-clare (with a snobbish accent).
Yeah I have to say my doorbell never rings. I am known for telling the kids to quiet down while I stare outside to look for a car. Sometimes I think I look paranoid but coming from the city, my parents always told me to never open the door unless you are expecting someone and I still follow that rule, no matter how old I get!
280 lbs of dogs come in handy
There was something on the news, tonight, about a guy doing this in the Bronx – except he was pretending to be a building inspector. One 72-year-old woman wouldn’t let him in, and he just ripped a necklace right off of her.
ackme-
280lbs of tail wagging, house trained, face licking dogs do not come in handy
in the 13 years i’ve lived here never has a township employee asked to do anything for us. i would have been immensely suspicious.
As my BBerry inbox fills up with messages from Clever Commute (Amtrak signal problems) I’m thanking my lucky stars for DeCamp, which whisked me in in 40 mins this morning, and my thoughts turn to that vamp, jerseygurl, and whether her passion for NJT trains still burns.
Oh jersey, you out there? You’re probably stuck on the trains, so we may have to wait until you get in, probably around noon.
Thanks for the heads up. My mother and her 280lbs of doggies do not read baristanet and would not have thought anything of a ‘utility worker’. And I have to second the idea that 280lbs of tail wagging happiness does not deter.
You’d be surprised. I’ve had people cross the street to avoid the smiling faces on my pooches. Some see Beethoven, some see Cujo…
Anyone tries this stunt with me, I’ll have Tubby spray him! And maybe Tiger too for good measure. Once he’s thoroughly soaked in cat urine I’ll immobilize him with a spritz of ‘Feliway’ to the face and roll him out of my house!