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Don't confuse the real BWSC workers in Rozzie, Westie with the fake BWSC robbers
By adamg on Fri, 04/17/2009 - 11:26am
Barely two weeks after Boston Police began warning of robberies by fake BWSC workers in Roslindale and Hyde Park, Boston Police inform us that real BWSC contractors will be out in the area looking for illegal connections to storm drains.
Police say the real workers will carry photo IDs with the Commission logo and the logo of the firms they work for: CH2MHILL, Stacey DePasquale Engineering and National Water Main Cleaning. Police add:
This program will include inspection of storm drain outfalls and manholes in the street. If evidence of sewage is found in a storm drain, the sewer service connections to buildings adjacent to the storm drain will be dye tested. If this testing needs to be done, owners and occupants of the buildings will be notified.
And police continue that if somebody asks to check your pipes, call 911 and have an officer come down and have a chat with him first.
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Comments
Fake photo IDs with logos can be created in minutes
Some people will be reluctant to call 911, and others will tie up 911 inappropriately.
How about publicizing an official BWSC phone number that residents are to call *any* time a purported BWSC person requests access (without prior arrangement), to verify.
And, anticipating that, if this scam continues to work, variations of other utility-related organizations might be tried... The city or state *could* have a single phone number to call any time any purported utility worker requests access. This could be a simple voice-response system that redirects to human operators at the various organizations.
Easiest solution?
Criminal: "I'd like to come in and look at your pipes."
Tenant: "Sure. Just go ahead and bring your vehicle with official blue government plates around to the front of my home, and I'll let you in."
Foolproof, right?
Won't fly in some parts of town.
"Lady, I had to drive around for 10 minutes to find a parking spot, and it's 3 blocks away. Can you just call 411 and ask for BWSC?"
And many utility workers don't have blue plates anyway.