Crime & Safety
Elderly Pair Fall Prey to Thieves Posing as PG&E Workers
Thieves pretending to be PG&E employees stole cash and jewelry from the elderly owners of a home in the Crocker Highlands district of Oakland Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Thieves posing as PG&E workers stole jewelry and cash from two elderly residents of the affluent Crocker Highlands neighborhood in Oakland Tuesday afternoon, police said.
About 2:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of Sunnyhills Road, two men claiming to be PG&E workers told two residents, one age 90 and the other 80, that they needed to check the easement in the rear of the property, according to Oakland police.
"While the home owners were in the back yard, the home was burglarized of jewelry and cash," police said in a public safety advisory.
Police released the following descriptions of the suspects:
- Suspect-1 is described as a male Hispanic, 35-40 years-old, 5’6, 180 pounds, medium complexion, short dark hair. He was wearing a hard hat, gloves, dark blue long sleeve polo shirt and dark pants. Suspects may be carrying clipboards.
- Suspect-2 is described as a male Hispanic, 45-50 years-old, 5’6, 185 pounds, light complexion, medium length dark brown hair. He was wearing a light blue shirt, light colored pants and a light colored fisherman style hat.
This past Monday in Albany, three people claiming to be AT&T employees went to the door of 91-year-old woman's home and asked to come in to check the phone line, according to Albany police logs. She refused.
Last Friday Berkeley police issued a warning about a PG&E scam in the North Berkeley area in which a caller posing as a PG&E representative says you're behind on paying your bill and must transfer $500 to keep your electricity on.
Anyone with information about the Oakland theft is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Burglary and Theft Unit at (510) 238-3951.
Oakland police also recommended these PG&E and suggestions for avoiding scams:
- Customers should always ask to see valid identification before allowing anyone claiming to be a PG&E representative inside their home. PG&E employees always carry their identification and are always willing to show it to you.
- If a person claiming to be a PG&E employee has identification and you still feel uncomfortable, call PG&E’s customer service line at 1-800-PGE-5000 to verify an appointment and/or PG&E’s presence in the community.
- Customers who have an appointment with PG&E will receive an automated call back within 48 hours prior to a scheduled visit, or they will receive a personal call from a PG&E gas service representative prior to a scheduled visit.
- Customers with concerns about the legitimacy of a call they receive about a past due bill, a service request or a request for personal information are encouraged to call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000.
For other police-related news on Albany Patch, see our "Police and Fire" section.
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