Dyno-Rod and Essex Police are asking householders to be extra vigilant following a suspected bogus caller incident in South Benfleet this week.
Dyno-Rod and Essex Police are asking householders to be extra vigilant following a suspected bogus caller incident in South Benfleet this week.
The warning comes after a South Benfleet resident contacted Dyno-Rod to say that they have received several phone calls from people claiming to be Dyno-Rod engineers and asking for payment for work that they say needs doing on the resident’s sewage system. Similar calls and visits have also been reported in Cornwall, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
Peter East from Dyno-Rod, said, “We are very concerned about these incidents and wanted to issue some advice to help people recognise genuine Dyno-Rod engineers. All our engineers wear a navy blue uniform, carry an ID card and will be driving the easily recognisable, bright orange Dyno-Rod vans. Also, it is very rare for them to call at someone’s house without an appointment. The only time they would do this is if they were working in a neighbouring property and require access to the drainage system – they would not be requesting payment. Similarly, we would never telephone a customer to request payment for a job.
“We have now launched a national hotline number which people can call, free of charge, to check if the caller is a genuine Dyno-Rod engineer. The number is 0800 316 1858.”
Roger Grimwade at Essex Police, said: “Bogus calling is particularly reprehensible and often leads on to burglary of the address, or the extortion of large sums from the occupier, and its victims are often elderly and vulnerable.
"We are working closely with local neighbourhood teams to prevent further incidents but we want to reassure the public that these incidents remain rare. If anybody does receive a visit from someone that they believe is a bogus caller, we would urge them to call 999 to report it immediately."
Following some simple rules could prevent most bogus caller crimes:
· Are you expecting someone to call?
· Don’t open your door to strangers. Check first – look through a window or door-viewer to see who the caller is
· Always put the chain on before opening the door
· Always ask to see the caller’s ID and refuse entry if you are in doubt – bona fide callers will be happy to call back at another time if you request
· If you are alone, ask the caller to come back later when a friend or neighbour can be with you
· If in doubt, keep them out.
