Utility Worker Impostors Rob Home

A family was duped Friday when two men posed as utility workers to gain access to their home and steal their valuables.

The suspects pretended to be water department employees as they knocked on doors along South 20th Street near Shunk Street, according to police.

Officers say residents of a home on the 2500 block of South 20th Street permitted the men to enter their house around 3 p.m. Friday after the suspects said they needed to check the water pressure.

While one of the two victims was in the basement monitoring the water, the other is distracted by one of the two alleged robbers, according to reports.

Next, police say, the second suspect then headed to the second floor of the home to steal from the couple.

Officers describe the suspects as about 5-feet 10-inches tall  with thin builds.  Both were approximately 30 years old and were wearing uniforms and baseball caps with a check mark on it.

Neither victim was hurt during the home invasion.

The home invasion comes as Philadelphia City Council plans to hold a hearing later this month to discuss whether policies need to be changed to make it more difficult for fraudulent utility workers from getting into people's homes.

"It’s not enough to merely broadcast concerns and stories about utility worker impersonators. Perhaps policies need to change," Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. said in a statement on Friday.

"In any case, residents and seniors in particular should be aware of ways to validate the identity of workers who want access to their homes, whether by asking for a valid identification card or by contacting the utility company," he said.

The impersonations aren't only taking place in the city. Just a few days ago, homeowners in Upper Merion Township were tricked by robbers posting as utility workers.

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