Boynton Beach Police Spokeswoman Stephanie Slater reached out to us about an unfortunate situation that occurred involving crooks taking advantage of elderly storm victims:
SCAM ALERT: Unfortunately, there are people out there who are going to exploit our current situation and use it as an opportunity to steal from others. We had our first case of that yesterday afternoon when two men posing as workers from a power company stole nearly $13,000 in jewelry from a house on Southwest 23rd Court.
The 95-year-old victim said she was sitting in her living room with the front door open when two men walked inside her home. They said they were checking switches to get the power back on. The victim said one of the men remained in her living room while she escorted the other man around the house flipping each light switch on and off. The men then told her that her power would return shortly after they left. She later discovered that her jewelry and cash had been stolen.
Please read this next part carefully and share it with everyone you know, especially our senior residents.
There is no reason whatsoever for anyone who works with an electrical company to enter your home – unless you have specific arrangements for them to be there, and FPL is not doing that right now. There are many other companies assisting FPL with restoring power in Palm Beach County. All of the employees will be credentialed and most will be driving vehicles marked with company signage. If someone approaches your home and says they are there to restore power, ask to see their credentials, look for their work truck and do not let them into your home. If you believe it to be suspicious, you can always call us at 561-732-8116.