There will be a lot of doorbell ringing this weekend, and police in Lackawanna County want you to be cautious. Investigators are looking for the men who pretended to be utility workers to steal from elderly women.
Police said it started around noon on Thursday. Three men knocked on the door of two elderly sisters on Meadow Avenue. They said they were there to check the water and electric utilities.
"The individuals let them in. One of them distracted the two females while the other two went through the belongings in the home," said Scranton Police Captain Graziano.
It's unknown if the men were armed. No one was hurt, and police said the men left in a blue or green van.
Scranton police said they get calls like this once every few months. In this case, a couple hundred dollars was stolen, but in other cases people have lost their entire life savings.
The suspects are still out there. Newswatch 16 spoke to someone with PPL Electric. Rich Beasley said there are clear ways to distinguish a legitimate employee from a scammer.
"We ask our customers, if there's any doubt as to whether it's a real PPL employee, ask for the ID. It's a picture ID, it has a PPL logo on it," said Beasley.
You can also call the utility company they claim to be from, or the police.
"I would be suspect if a PPL employee banged on a door and said I need to get into your house, because there's really no need to get in somebody's house," Beasley added.
Beasley also said now meter readings are done remotely, so if someone said they are there to perform a monthly meter reading, they are lying.
If you have any information about the theft on Meadow Avenue, call Scranton Police at 570-348-4134.
Police said it started around noon on Thursday. Three men knocked on the door of two elderly sisters on Meadow Avenue. They said they were there to check the water and electric utilities.
"The individuals let them in. One of them distracted the two females while the other two went through the belongings in the home," said Scranton Police Captain Graziano.
It's unknown if the men were armed. No one was hurt, and police said the men left in a blue or green van.
Scranton police said they get calls like this once every few months. In this case, a couple hundred dollars was stolen, but in other cases people have lost their entire life savings.
The suspects are still out there. Newswatch 16 spoke to someone with PPL Electric. Rich Beasley said there are clear ways to distinguish a legitimate employee from a scammer.
"We ask our customers, if there's any doubt as to whether it's a real PPL employee, ask for the ID. It's a picture ID, it has a PPL logo on it," said Beasley.
You can also call the utility company they claim to be from, or the police.
"I would be suspect if a PPL employee banged on a door and said I need to get into your house, because there's really no need to get in somebody's house," Beasley added.
Beasley also said now meter readings are done remotely, so if someone said they are there to perform a monthly meter reading, they are lying.
If you have any information about the theft on Meadow Avenue, call Scranton Police at 570-348-4134.
