Warning: Residents Should Beware of Thieves Posing as Utility Workers
August 28 2008 - 9:52AM
PR Newswire (US)
RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Thieves posing as utility
workers have robbed a number of unsuspecting homeowners in recent
weeks, and Progress Energy encourages its customers and other
residents to beware of scams. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020923/CHM008LOGO-c ) In the
last several weeks, people claiming to work for Progress Energy, or
in some cases for an unidentified "power company," have asked to
enter homes by telling the homeowner they were there to conduct an
energy-efficiency inspection or perform other utility-related work.
Most incidents have involved elderly homeowners in rural areas.
Once inside, the purported utility worker has occupied the
attention of the homeowner while another person has slipped into
the house and stolen valuables. In other cases, the purported
utility workers have asked the homeowner to step outside the home
to look at a meter or pole, and while away, another person slips
into the home undetected. Progress Energy encourages customers and
others not to open their door for utility workers unless they can
confirm the person's identity. Progress Energy employees carry
company badges with photographs. But since ID badges, vehicle signs
and clothing can be fabricated to look authentic, none of these is
sufficient to assure a person's identity. Other than in emergencies
or safety-related issues, there are practically no instances when a
representative of Progress Energy would show up at a customer's
home unannounced and ask to enter to perform work. If a homeowner
has any doubt about the identity of anyone claiming to be a
Progress Energy employee, that person should keep the door shut and
locked and call the Progress Energy customer service center at
1-800-452-2777 to confirm the employee's identity and need for
entry. Progress Energy, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a
Fortune 250 energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of
generation capacity and $9 billion in annual revenues. The company
will observe a century of operation in 2008. Progress Energy
includes two major utilities that serve 3.1 million customers in
the Carolinas and Florida. Progress Energy is the 2006 recipient of
the Edison Electric Institute's Edison Award, the industry's
highest honor, in recognition of its operational excellence. The
company also is the first utility to receive the prestigious J.D.
Power and Associates Founder's Award for customer service. Progress
Energy serves two fast-growing areas of the country, and the
company is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future
energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy
efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies
and a state-of-the-art electricity system. For more information
about Progress Energy, visit the company's Web site at
http://www.progress-energy.com/ .
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020923/CHM008LOGO-c
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Progress Energy CONTACT:
Corporate Communications 24-Hour Media Line, +1-877-641-NEWS (6397)
Web site: http://www.progress-energy.com/
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