Warning over con artists

Reporter: Jacob Metcalf
Date published: 24 March 2017


RESIDENTS in Shaw are being warned to stay vigilant against bogus officials knocking on their door.

Police have received reports about two incidents where a man, pretending to be a workman or official, asked to gain entry to the potential victim's home.

The GMP Royton and Shaw Facebook page reported that on March 17, at around 9am, a man rang the intercom of a resident's flat in Shaw claiming to be from a utilities company. He asked whether he could check the boiler, however entry was refused and then he left.

After making checks with the utilities company, it was found that nobody was scheduled to visit.

Prior to that incident, on March 14, the police received reports of a man who called at the door of an elderly resident's property claiming to be fitting a boiler to a nearby house. He said he needed to check the water pressure of the property.

Fortunately, the resident would not be hoodwinked, and closed the door. She went to the kitchen and when she returned the man had left.

He is described as 25 to 30-years-old, white, short cropped hair, in dark clothing with a local accent.