Long Beach residents are being urged to use caution when approached by utility workers, who may be falsely representing themselves in order to target and burglarize homes.
Long Beach's Gas and Oil Department officials are alerting residents about recent reports of persons scamming residents by claiming that a gas meter needs to be replaced. The bogus workers ask when the resident will be out of the house and use that information to break into the residence.
To prevent being scammed by utility worker impersonators, make sure the LBGO employee doing any meter work at your home is identifiable by their LBGO uniform and can provide a city-issued identification card.
If in doubt about the legitimacy of a meter exchange or employee, call the LBGO emergency line at 570-2140 any time (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week).
Also, residents are advised to keep gates to backyards locked and secure at all times, and to immediately report suspicious activity, including loiterers, by calling 9-1-1 with a suspect description.
Long Beach Gas and Oil routinely performs gas meter exchanges throughout the cities of Long Beach and Signal Hill. For all meter work, customer contact is made either in person by a uniformed LBGO employee or through an LBGO form that is left in a prominent location on the property. The form provides a contact number to inquire about the work scheduled or to reschedule the work at a more convenient time.
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