Beware of Utility Service Worker Impostors

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power cautions residents to beware of impostors posing as utility personnel making service-related house calls. These impostors seek to gain access to residential property in order to
steal valuables from the occupant.

LADWP customers have reported recent incidents of “distraction burglaries,” wherein the impostors work as a team: one diverts the attention of the resident by taking them outside or to another part of the house, while another

searches the home for valuable items to steal.

LADWP asks all customers to call the Department at 1-800-DIAL DWP (1-800-342-5397) to verify the worker’s identity, employment and purpose of visit before granting access to any part of their property. Employees will present their Department-issued IDs and give their name, employee number and supervisor name to customers at the time of visit and anytime upon request.

All LADWP employees have ID cards and field employees wear uniforms and drive Department vehicles, both of which prominently display the familiar LADWP logo seen at the top right corner of this document. Additionally, LADWP employees typically do not appear at customers’ doors unannounced. To remain safe, customers should not open their doors to anyone claiming to be a utility employee until the worker’s identity, employment and purpose of visit has been confirmed.

The public should always report any criminal incidents to the Los Angeles Police Department. LADWP officers are on watch 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. To report suspicious activity call LADWP Security
Services at (213) 367-3373, (213) 367-9111; www.ladwp.com and click Security Issue under Contact Us.