Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 21, 1995 TAG: 9503210135
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BREEA WILLINGHAM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A man and woman claiming to be from the Health Department knock on the doors of unsuspecting residents, intending to burglarize the houses. The perpetrators seem to target residences where no cars are parked and no one appears to be home.
"They think no one is home, and when someone comes to the door, they have to think of something quick," said Joyce Heath, a member of the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Watch.
Heath said a man and woman posing as health inspectors came to her home last Monday and were surprised when her daughter-in-law answered the door.
"My daughter-in-law's car is usually in the driveway, but mine was in the shop, so I used hers," Heath said.
The woman came in and asked Heath's daughter-in-law to give her a sample of the water so it could be tested for nitrates.
"My daughter-in-law didn't think to ask for ID, and that's what they count on - not thinking," Heath said.
"When I got home, she told me what happened, and I immediately called the Health Department, and they said they knew nothing about water testing. I then called the water control board, and they knew nothing about it, and then I called the [Department of Environmental Quality] and they said they'd advertise before sending anyone out to do any testing."
The same day, Heath said, a woman walked into the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, apparently assuming it was empty because there were no cars in the parking lot, and was surprised to find the secretary, Shirley Ransom.
The woman told Ransom she was from the Health Department and needed a sample of the water. Ransom allowed her to take a sample.
This scam, Mount Pleasant residents later learned, is not an isolated event. The day after the impersonators came to Heath's house, she saw a story on "Good Morning America" about similar scams in other states.
Within the past two weeks, about eight homes in the area have been burglarized, and someone's been making prank calls to see if anyone is home, Heath said.
Detective Rick Moorer of the Roanoke County Police Department spoke to about 100 Mount Pleasant residents at their Neighborhood Watch meeting Monday night at the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church.
"If you have people coming to your home that you didn't call for or don't know, call police," Moorer said.
"You have to call us and let us know. Don't be afraid of Roanoke County police. We don't bite."
Memo: ***CORRECTION***