 |
| |
News in Detail
 |
Lake Elsinore, CA- Officials from the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) are reminding customers to be cautious of people claiming to be water district employees in an attempt to commit fraud and other illegal acts including theft.
The warning comes after a recent newspaper report of someone impersonating a water district employee and asking to check a home’s water pressure in order to gain access into the home.
"Safety is of utmost importance to us," said Ben Wicke, EVMWD President. "We want our customers to have the information they need to protect themselves from crime."
According to Wicke, these people typically pose as employees and approach residents for vague reasons inquiring to enter the home. EVMWD said its employees will never ask to enter a customer’s home unless a request has been made by the customer. If a person claiming to be an employee asks to enter a home unannounced, the district encourages it customers to call (951) 674-3146 to report the incident or to confirm the identity of the employee.
"We have taken several steps to ensure our employees can easily be identified to eliminate some of the concern," said Greg Morrison, Director of Legislative and Community Affairs. "We don’t send our employees out for random inspections. If they don’t have proper identification, and are not arriving in a District vehicle do not allow this person to enter your home."
EVMWD employees are required to wear district uniforms including the employee’s name and the district’s logo. In addition, each employee is required to carry photo identification and all vehicles are labeled with an EVMWD logo.
Morrison said residents should not hesitate to ask for identification if they have a concern, or to contact the district to identify the employee. If the person claiming to be an employee refuses to present identification or to wait until their identity is verified the incident should be reported to the local police department immediately.
Most customer service calls are handled during business hours to avoid overtime pay for its employees. Therefore, customers should immediately become suspicious if someone inquires to enter their home during the weekend.
In addition to house visits, EVMWD asks customers to be cautious of supposed bill collection calls and advises customers to not make a credit card payment over the phone. Instead, customers can make a payment on the District’s automated system 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, or online at www.evmwd.com.
EVMWD provides service to over 38,000 water, wastewater and agricultural customers in a 96-square mile service area in Western Riverside County with an estimated 133,000 population. The District is a sub-agency of the Western Municipal Water District and a member agency of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. You can visit the EVMWD website at www.evmwd.com for more information.
|
| |
 | Copyright © 2000 - 2010 EVMWD - 31315 Chaney St, Lake Elsinore, CA 92531 Phone: (951) 674-3146 |  |  |
|
