BAKERSFIELD, Calif (KGET)— It’s a dangerous scam and it’s on the rise. A man claiming to be a worker with the California Water Service is there at your front door ready to perform a state-mandated meter inspection inside the safety of your home.
“Don’t let people in your home,” Tamara Johnson with the California Water Service said. “Don’t let them in. We don’t have a reason to come into your home.”
Johnson says there are 113 Cal Water employees conducting water service operations, but you’ll get some type of notification including letters, emails, or even a phone call before they get to work.
If a person claiming to be with Cal Water comes to your door knocking, Johnson says to ask to see their badge and make them wait because verification is just a phone call away.
“Everyone is wearing the same logo, driving trucks with the same logo, and everyone will have that badge,” said Johnson.
Johnson says you could also get scammed through a phone call.
“If you get a call demanding an immediate payment to avoid their service being shut off, people should hang up on those calls.”
She says if you get an email demanding payment, don’t reply, don’t open any attachments, and don’t click on anything.
Finally, not everyone is out to scam you, but they might be there at your house trying to sell you.
“They wanna test the water so that they can convince you that you need to buy a water purification system,” Johnson said.
If you’re unsure whether you’re dealing with a Cal Water worker at your front door, don’t let them in. Just Call Cal Water 24 hours a day at (661) 837-7200.
