Utility company urges caution over bogus callers

Scottish Water bogus caller campaign launched
Scottish Water bogus caller campaign launched

HOUSEHOLDERS ARE BEING urged to take additional care in avoiding being taken in by bogus doorstep callers posing at Scottish Water or other utility employees.

With the dark winter nights having arrived and Scottish Water staff taking thousands of water samples from customers across the country, the company are advising people how to recognise a genuine employee from a bogus caller when they turn up at the door.

The advice, which is being reinforced in a Scottish Water advertisement on television and radio between until the end of this month, is being provided as Scottish Water carry out more than 150,000 water quality tests at customers’ taps, enabling them to ensure they continue to provide customers with clear, fresh drinking water.

The ongoing tests are carried out by a sampling team whose members will arrive in recognisable vehicles and will always have photographic identification available, with the company saying that following their Three C’s advice could help people to beat bogus callers:

  • Card – You can ask callers to pass their ID card or letter through the letter box in order to verify their identity.
  • Check – Check the identity card carefully: Is the photo on the card the same as the person at the door? Does the card contain the Scottish Water Customer Helpline number? Has the card been tampered with in any way? If you are not confident that they are a genuine caller, then send them away!
  • Call – If you are in any doubt about the caller’s identity please call our Customer Helpline on 0800 0778778.

Customers are being advised to contact utility companies by using phone numbers found in telephone directories or the internet, but never from ID cards or letters presented as these could be false. If householders are still suspicious they should contact a neighbour or call the police.

Scottish Water’s Chief Operating Officer, Peter Farrer, said: “All of our employees carry identity cards, which they are more than happy to show when requested to do so.

“Householders should not let anyone into their home until they are sure of their identity. Check through the peep hole on your door; ask them to pass their ID card through the letter box. Our employees will be more than happy to wait while you check their identity.

“If you’re on your own and feel that you need more support then call a neighbour or a friend, and if you are at all worried about a caller, then please contact the police straight away. The advice is easy to remember – just three C’s – Card, Check and Call.”

Further information is available on the Scottish Water website.