[Chat] Suspicious activity

Wed Apr 20 12:18:15 EDT 2011

>From the BGE website:

BGE cautions customers to be mindful of individuals who try to gain
access to their homes by posing as utility workers. Utility imposters
may carry "official" looking credentials and often work in pairs.

BGE recommends customers take the following steps to ensure their
safety against imposters:

    Do not open your door to someone you don't recognize – ask for a
photo ID through the door / window. All BGE employees and contractors
carry company ID badges displaying their name, photograph and
identification number. To verify a BGE employee's identity or work being
done at your home, call us at 410-685-0123 or 1-800-685-0123. Operators
are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
    Report suspicious activity to the police. Customers who encounter
suspected utility imposters are urged to immediately notify the police.

>>> Stephen J Gewirtz <gewirtz at bellatlantic.net> 4/20/2011 12:01 PM
>>>
Judy,

These folk did ask to see my BGE bill.  I remember the situation about
a 
year ago, and someone came to my door then.  What made me really 
suspicious this time was the accompanying behavior (ringing my bell, 
saying they had the wrong person, then still being there a few minutes

later when I decided to take another look, and only then trying to sell

me on changing electric companies).  This made me suspect that they
were 
mimicking the earlier door to door solicitations as a way to try to get

me to open my security door.

By the way, this incident made me extremely glad to have a security 
door.  It functions as a storm / screen door, but it provides a barrier

when I want to answer the door without being vulnerable to an intended

home invasion.  Such doors are not cheap, but they are well worth the
money.

Steve

On 4/20/2011 11:41 AM, jberlin wrote:
> about a yr ago the same situation was happening except it was the 
> BG&E. the solicitor wanted to see people's g&e bills, offering
cheaper 
> services elsewhere. Northern district came out. Surprisingly it was 
> legit. A couple times it would be a black guy talking and a white gal

> on the sidewalk. I don't know what company initiated all this. due to

> various security issues it certainly wasn't good judgment on
someone's 
> part. That in turn tells me the company is not one to deal with.  No

> one should be going door to door . For the  safety of both parties.
>
> Judy
>
>
>
> On 04/20/2011 10:13 AM, John Spurrier wrote:
>> The Charles Villager is only published 5 times a year, however there

>> are email distribution lists
>> that can be utilized to get the message out in a more timely
manner.
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>>
>>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> From: dwilliamsjhu02 at hotmail.com 
>> To: chat at charlesvillage.info 
>> Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:02:34 +0000
>> Subject: Re: [Chat] Suspicious activity
>>
>> This worries me...I hope that maybe someone will include a blurb 
>> about this in the newsletters that go out to the Charles Village and

>> Abel communities.
>>
>> > Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 06:45:27 -0700
>> > From: ugagrad93 at yahoo.com 
>> > To: discussion at charlesvillage.info; chat at charlesvillage.info; 
>> CVCBDQuad4 at yahoogroups.com 
>> > CC: davidhill at charlesvillage.org; 
>> northerncommunitycouncil at yahoogroups.com; 
>> Marypat.clarke at Baltimorecity.gov; Carl.Stokes at baltimorecity.gov 
>> > Subject: Re: [Chat] Suspicious activity
>> >
>> > Great job Steve! I've always heard that if something just doesn't

>> feel right, it probably isn't. Thanks for the heads up!
>> >
>> > Greg Alexander
>> > Freelance Writer/Editor
>> > Editor, Mason-Dixon Arrive
>> > 2629 Guilford Avenue
>> > Baltimore, MD 21218
>> > 410-243-3387
>> > ugagrad93 at yahoo.com 
>> > www.gregoryjalexander.com 
>> >
>> >
>> > --- On Wed, 4/20/11, Stephen J Gewirtz <gewirtz at bellatlantic.net>

>> wrote:
>> >
>> > > From: Stephen J Gewirtz <gewirtz at bellatlantic.net>
>> > > Subject: [Chat] Suspicious activity
>> > > To: "Charles Village Discussion List" 
>> <discussion at charlesvillage.info>, "The Charles Village Chat List" 
>> <chat at charlesvillage.info>, CVCBDQuad4 at yahoogroups.com 
>> > > Cc: "David Hill" <davidhill at charlesvillage.org>, 
>> northerncommunitycouncil at yahoogroups.com, "Stokes, Carl" 
>> <Carl.Stokes at baltimorecity.gov>, Marypat.clarke at Baltimorecity.gov 
>> > > Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2011, 12:02 AM
>> > > A little before 6 p.m. this evening,
>> > > my doorbell rang.  I opened the inner door but not the
>> > > outer security door which can only be opened with a
>> > > key.  On my porch were a couple, a black male and a
>> > > white female, college age or more likely a little bit
>> > > older.  They said that they had the wrong person.
>> > >
>> > > A few minutes later, I opened the inner door again.
>> > > The couple were still there, and the man asked me to open
>> > > the outer security door.  I refused.  He then
>> > > tried to sell me on saving money by switching to a
>> > > guaranteed fixed electric rate instead of paying BGE.
>> > > I told him that I was not interested, even though he
>> > > persisted until I ended the conversation.  He was
>> > > carrying a notebook.  The woman basically was silent.
>> > >
>> > > Something did not add up.  How can they have the wrong
>> > > person and then try to sell me something?  And why were
>> > > they still there?  Anyway, I reported it to 911, to a
>> > > JHU cop who was parked across the street a few minutes
>> > > later, and to Northern District police who came moments
>> > > later in response to my 911 call.  They said that
>> > > they would be looking for the couple.  I do not know
>> > > whether, if I had opened my security door, the couple would
>> > > have rushed in to grab something in my house or worse.
>> > > I have seen a report that in a nearby neighborhood, people
>> > > have rung doorbells and asked for someone who does not exist
>> > > on that block.  When they have found a house where
>> > > nobody is home, they have broken in.
>> > >
>> > > I write all this to urge that everyone be very careful
>> > > about opening a door to a stranger.  And if things
>> > > really do not add up but look suspicious, call 911.
>> > > What I encountered this evening may be legitimate, but my
>> > > guess is that it is not.  And if it is part of a knock,
>> > > run in and grab something, and run scheme or some other
>> > > scheme, the police will definitely appreciate your giving
>> > > them a heads up on what is happening.  After all, the
>> > > cops cannot be everywhere, so we have to be additional eyes
>> > > and ears for them.
>> > >
>> > > Northern District does an excellent job, but we need to
>> > > give them all the help we can.
>> > >
>> > > Steve
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > _______________________________________________
>> > > Chat mailing list
>> > > Chat at charlesvillage.info 
>> > >
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>> > >
>> >
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