RFCOP Crime Update Week of Jan 10th -Jan 16th

RF Crime Report week of Jan 10-16
BGE isn't sending staffers to your door asking for cash

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. just sent out an advisory to make sure you realize that anyone showing up at your door, demanding cash to settle an overdue BGE bill, is trying to pull a fast one.

"Periodically, people posing as BGE employees visit customers, usually seeking entry into their homes to attempt to steal money and other valuables," the company said in its press release. "Occasionally, these scam artists call customers seeking credit card or other personal information. Many times, they indicate that they're trying to collect payment on a past due BGE bill and threaten to suspend service if the 'payment' isn't made."

Said Jeannette M. Mills, the company's senior vice president of customer relations and account services: "BGE no longer accepts cash payments from customers and at no time should a customer give cash to someone who approaches them claiming to represent BGE, nor should they give personal information such as credit card numbers to people misrepresenting themselves as BGE employees in telephone calls."

BGE usually only sends employees your way to respond to an emergency, check equipment, read meters or get service started or stopped. "Although it is rare for the BGE representative to require entry into the customer's home, if the entry is requested, the customer should always ask to see photo identification," the company said. "All BGE employees and contractors carry company identification badges displaying their name, photograph and identification number."

Want to make sure it's the real deal? Call BGE at 410-685-0123.

Click here to view the full report.

Finally, Towson Patch has been following a story regarding a stabbing in the apartments. Click Here for the latest on that event.