Who Can it Be Knocking at My Door?

Monroe Senior Center Dir. Barbara Yeager recently had a home visit from two salesmen asking her to switch her phone, cable and Internet service to AT&T. Though they were polite, she asked them if they had I.D., permission from the police department and a permit.

"They said, 'No one ever asked that,'" Yeager recalled.

More often than not, door-to-door solicitors are legitimate, but in some cases criminals have pretended to be service providers as part of a scam.

Monroe Police Sg. John Butler said two men pretending to be gas company employees recently burglarized a home in the Valley. One man led the homeowner to the backyard "to show him something" while the other entered the house and ransacked a bedroom.

So how do you know the people who knock on your door are who they say they are?

The TRIAD Uniform Fashion Show held at the Monroe Senior Center Tuesday morning gave its patrons a chance to see professionals' uniforms up close and ask questions. The event was sponsored by People's United Bank.

Lt. Brian McCauley said the senior center last hosted the fashion show four years ago, adding it is a way to ease seniors' fears over seeing strangers in their neighborhoods.

But it also pays to be cautious.

Angela DeLeon, a senior community specialist at People's United Bank, told audience members, "Don't open the door until you know who is behind the door, and make sure your door is locked between you and the person at your door — and that includes the screen and storm door."

Sharing Tips

Models participating in Tuesday's fashion show included personnel from Aquarion Water Co., Connecticut Light & Power, Yankee Gas, Sippin Energy Products, the Monroe Police Department, the Park Ranger, the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service, the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department, Monroe Public Works, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Comfort Keepers in-home care and Charter Communications.

Among some of the information shared, Salvatore Casa of Charter Communications showed photos of the vehicles Charter's employees drive and told the audience their uniforms are always blue.

Casa added that you always get a call from a technician before he arrives. The company may also be called to verify work orders.

Yeager shared a story of how a Yankee Gas Co. employee had told her they always wear steel-toed work shoes — and never sneakers.

McCauley advised people to always put away their valuables when a service person is coming over and to make sure they know where they are inside their home at all times.

Carmine Gogliettino of CL&P said the power company doesn't call to make an appointment and Butler noted how trucks are often not uniform as crews are called in from around the country — and even from Canada — during prolonged outages from major storms.

Whenever anyone is in doubt over the validity of a crew, Gogliettino said they can call CL&P's 800 number to confirm.

Background Checks

Gary Sippin of Sippin Energy Products said his company makes over 50,000 home visits a year and that all of its oil delivery drivers and HVAC repairmen have I.D.'s that indicate they had a criminal background check and underwent drug and alcohol testing.

A technician schedules appointments and oil delivery men do not, but Sippin said no one can fake having the big oil truck parked in front of the house.