CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The Cape Coral Police Department is warning about thieves targeting elderly residents by impersonating service workers to get into their homes.
It comes after two suspects posed as pest control workers and were caught on camera.
“If they believe that people could be suspicious, don’t allow them into your home," says Officer Brandon Sancho, Public Affairs with Cape Coral PD.
He says they've seen individuals posing as city employees and electric companies, in addition to the pest control workers - and that these types of scams are becoming more common throughout Southwest Florida, with the most likely victims being the elderly.
“Our elderly are, I guess you could say, easier victims. They may not know how to use some type of resources like Google, at least try to verify these businesses and different people like that,” says Sancho.
But how do you avoid falling victim to crimes like these? Police say they can follow a specific pattern...and that criminals will usually travel in groups of two or more, acting as a unit when dressed in their professional garb.
And if you do find a worker you weren't expecting knocking at your door and it doesn't feel right - police say, stop and call them right away.
“We’ll come out on site, we’ll speak to those people who are soliciting door to door and what we’ll also do is we’ll make sure to run their information so we have it formally documented. Should anyone in the neighbor become a victim, at least we have that suspect information," he says.
If you recognize the two caught on camera posing as pest control workers, you can call Cape Coral Police or Southwest Florida Crimestoppers.
