Man poses as city employee in Ozark, Mt. Vernon

In Mt. Vernon Aug. 4, a woman allowed a man claiming to be a city utilities worker to enter her home to “flush water out of the pipe system,” said Garry Earnest, Mt. Vernon assistant chief of police. The man asked the woman to turn on the water in one room and wait as he left to turn off the hot water heater. When he didn’t return, the woman searched the house to find the man had left – and stolen about $40, Earnest said.

Two similar incidents occurred in Ozark in early August, according to Ozark Police Capt. Ray Fite.

A man, not employed by the city, successfully entered a woman’s home to “check for some leaks,” Fite said, but the woman did not find anything missing. Another woman was approached by a man who said he needed to repair a fire hydrant in her front yard, but she refused his service.

Both Earnest and Fite said they heard from the Springfield Police Department that a Springfield resident encountered the scam, but Matt Brown, spokesperson for the Springfield police, said he is unaware of any reports in the city.

Most city employees are required to wear a shirt that identifies them as such, Earnest said, and all carry proper identification.

“If somebody has any suspicion at all, they should ask for ID before they allow anybody in the residence,” he said.

Fite suggests residents call their city halls to confirm if the public works department is doing any work in their neighborhood before allowing someone in their home.