The Wellesley Police Department and Water Department want to make you are aware of this potential scam that has been occurring in some area towns close to Wellesley.
In late January and early February communities on the north and south shore have experienced a group of individuals running a scam that targets homeowners in order to gain access to their residences. These individuals pose as municipal water department employees claiming they either need to read the inside water meter of the house or provide claims of the water being tainted and needing to “test” the water by letting it run for a period of time.
These are distractions to provide additional individuals time to evaluate items to be stolen from the home. Some of these individuals are wearing lanyards with some form of alleged identification, they have also been seen possibly carrying radios. While distracting the homeowner, additional suspects enter the home and steal items.
The communities impacted so far have been Milton, Newton, Stoughton, Dracut, Methuen, Wilmington, and Plainville.
As with any suspicious activity, we encourage you to not let anyone you don’t know into your home. If you are suspicious, take a moment to think and call the Wellesley Water Department at 781-235-7600 to verify that work needs to be done. You can always call the police department at 781-235-1212 or 9-1-1 to report the suspicious activity.