Thursday 3 May 2012

National Grid warns public to beware of bogus callers after incident in Barnet

National Grid is warning people not to handover cash to bogus callers after an incident in which two men tried to get a householder to part with £1,500.
The two men, who wore high visibility jackets and hard hats and claimed to be from a company called North London Drainage, called on a property in Barnet this week. The men told the resident that nearby drains had collapsed due to vibrations which they claimed came from work being carried out by the North London Gas Alliance in the area.
The men said they had been employed to ensure that damage did not occur and then asked the occupier for a cash payment of £1,500.
Kevin Blundell, Operations Manager of the North London Gas Alliance, a partnership between National Grid and Skanska, said: “We have no record of any damage to drains in the area caused by our work and we have had no dealings with any company by the name of North London Drainage.
“The public is not charged directly for our gas mains replacement work and any work or repairs associated with it. If they are asked for money this request should be refused and the matter reported to the police and ourselves as soon as possible.”
Mr Blundell added: “All National Grid and North London Gas Alliance employees carry official identity cards which they should show to people before entering their property.
“People should not let anyone in if an official identity card is not available for inspection. People should examine the identification card thoroughly before admitting anyone and if they have any concerns they should call our helpline on 0800 096 5678 to verify the caller’s identity. Our engineers will be happy to wait for someone to verify their identity.”
If anyone thinks they are being burgled they should call the police immediately on 999.
Police have been informed about the incident anyone with any information regarding the bogus callers should contact police on 101.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This report was sent to the Barnet Eye from a verified National Grid Press Officer. The number in the message is a freephone 0800 number

No comments: