RESIDENTS in Kilwinning are being warned to be on their guard after a bogus caller tried to force his way into the home of an elderly woman.

A man claiming to be from “the water board” attempted to enter the woman’s home in Vaults Lane on Sunday, June 19.

The con man told the woman that he needed access to her boiler but then changed his story and said she needed her taps changed.

However the householder quickly suspected something was not right and did not allow him to enter her property and immediately contacted the police.

Police contacted bosses at Scottish Water who confirmed they were not carrying out any work in the area at the time and that they would not deal with boilers anyway.

Jane McKenzie, Scottish Water’s regional communities team manager for the area, said: “All our employees carry identity cards, which they are more than happy to show when requested to do so. Householders shouldn’t let anyone into their home until they are sure of their identity. Check through the peep hole on your door; ask them to pass their ID card or letter through the letter box. Our employees will be more than happy to wait while you check their identity.

“On occasion, when we need access to a customer’s property we normally try to contact them in advance and arrange a suitable time. However, there may be occasions when we need to cold-call. But all our employees carry ID badges and are happy to display these on arrival. Our staff and contractors never call at a customer’s home to collect money.”

Following the frightening incident Scottish Water is now reminding customers in the Kilwinning area to be aware of bogus callers, and to use the three ‘C’s rule to beat callous conmen: Card, Check and Call - if they are visited by a bogus caller.

When they receive a cold call from anyone claiming to be from Scottish Water, a contractor, another utility or any other organisation, they should under no circumstances open the door without first checking the caller’s identity card or letter. 

This should be passed through the letter box for verification. 

This stops a bogus caller forcing their way in, even if the door is ajar, or on a chain.

Following Scottish Water’s simple 3 C’s advice could help customers to beat the bogus caller:

* Card – You can ask callers to pass their ID card or letter through the letter box in order to verify their identity.

* Check - Check the identity card carefully: Is the photo on the card the same as the person at the door? Does the card contain the Scottish Water Customer Helpline number? Has the card been tampered with in any way? If you are not confident that they are a genuine caller, then send them away.

* Call - If you are in any doubt about the caller’s identity please call our Customer Helpline on 0845 601 8855. We advise customers to contact utility companies by using phone numbers found in telephone directories or the internet, but not from ID cards or letters, because these could be false. If you are still suspicious contact a neighbour or call the police.

In a bid to help protect customers against bogus callers, Scottish Water is again offering an Anti-Bogus Caller Pack which contains a personal electronic alarm, window sensor, door viewer, UV marker pen and guard bar.

Packs are available to the first 50 customers contacting Scottish Water by emailing customermarketing@scottishwater.co.uk or writing to us quoting Bogus Caller Pack, Customer Marketing, PO Box 8855 Edinburgh EH10 6YQ. 

Further information is available on our website www.scottishwater.co.uk/boguscaller.