Leamington warns of scammers impersonating municipal staff to access homes

The Municipality of Leamington is warning residents about a scam involving individuals falsely claiming to represent its water services department in an attempt to access people's homes.

Last week, six residents contacted the municipality over a two-day span, according to Leamington's environmental services manager.

They reported receiving suspicious phone calls from individuals claiming to be municipal employees who needed to inspect their water meters.

"We are definitely glad these residents called us, because it wasn't municipal staff that was contacting them," said Shannon Belleau, adding the attempted scam is "very concerning."

According to Belleau, Leamington staff would only visit someone's home to install a replacement meter or address a detected leak.

However, even in those cases, the first step wouldn't involve going to someone's home.

"We would walk the resident through some troubleshooting options to see if they could locate the leak on their own. That's why it was bizarre for residents to be getting this type of phone call," Belleau said.

The municipality has notified the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre about the attempted scam.

This type of scam isn't limited to the holiday season. OPP constable Steven Duguay said scams involving door-to-door impostors occur year-round, "It comes in waves. We'll have periods of time where we don't get a lot of reports of these scams going on. Then, there's other times when scammers tend to flood an area all at once."

"These scammers look for any opportunity to make a quick buck through unethical means," said Duguay.

Duguay emphasized that legitimate representatives rarely show up unannounced.

Most utility companies or municipal services will schedule a visit in advance or notify residents through a letter in the mailbox, he said.

"These scammers want you to make a decision right away, either by letting you into their home, signing on a contract or giving them money for something. Be aware of those high-pressure tactics," said Duguay.

Officials advise residents to verify any claims by contacting the organization directly using official contact information, rather than relying on details provided by the visitor.

Legitimate workers from the Municipality of Leamington can be identified through clear signs.

"All of our water operators are wearing uniforms. They will have a Municipality of Leamington ID badge. They will be driving a municipal vehicle," said Belleau, "If you are ever uncertain, don't just let them in."

Residents in Leamington who receive a call from someone requesting to access their home for a water meter inspection are encouraged to call the municipality’s water services department at 519-326-4454 to verify the visit.