A Franklin Corner Road couple nearly became victims of two scam artists, one of whom claimed to be a water company representative to get inside their home, shortly before 2 p.m. June 26, according to police Lt. Joseph Amodio.
The husband told police he found a suspicious man inside his house. The man told the victim that he was “from the water company” and needed to check the water and gas meters in the basement, Lt. Amodio said.
The victim accompanied him downstairs into the basement. When they came back upstairs, the victim found another man in his house, Lt. Amodio said. The victim’s wife said she was in the bedroom when the second man walked upstairs to the second floor.
When she confronted him, the second man told her that he needed to check on the water in the house, Lt. Amodio said. After looking around, the two men left the house. Nothing was reported missing from the house.
Such incidents are not uncommon, police said, which means residents should be wary of any kind of water meter or utility scam or “lost dog” stories. Residents should ask for a would-be meter reader’s badge or other form of company identification for verification that the person works for that company.
Another common scam is to knock on a potential victim’s door and ask for help in locating a lost puppy, police said. It’s another way to distract the resident so that an accomplice can get inside and search for valuables. But residents can thwart the thieves by locking the door to the house.
Driveway seal-coating and roof repairs are also common scams, police said. A man will knock on the door and offer to seal coat the driveway, or make a repair to that roof leak, with some material that they have left over from another job in the area for a small price.
The man may appear to apply a sealer to the driveway or to apply a patching material to the roof. They really want to get inside the house, and will ask to use the bathroom. While his partner distracts the resident, the thief will quickly go through the house to look for money or other valuable items.
Lt. Amodio pointed out that roofers and contractors must be licensed by Lawrence Township to perform work in the township. He suggested contacting friends or neighbors for referrals for workmen, noting that senior citizens often appear to be targeted by scam artists.

