WARREN, Mich. – Warren police are seeking two men who pretended to be with the city water department to scam an 86-year-old woman out of more than $1,000.
The victim said a man came to her door and said he was with the water department. She let him inside her home in the area of Hoover Road and Masonic once he flashed a badge when she asked for identification.
The man told the woman there were busted pipes in the area that were threatening to flood her house.
"He said it would cost $900 to fix that day," she said.
The victim put more than $1,000 into an envelope.
The man then convinced her to let him check other faucets in her home. While he was doing that, another man sneaked into the house.
The woman said she checked the envelope of money while the men were still there and it was empty. The men quickly left the home, so she called the city about the ordeal.
"I called the city and I knew I was scammed," the victim said.
Police said the men were in a 2018 Jeep Compass, which surveillance cameras in the area caught on video.
"These guys are scumbags who probably steal from their own families," said Bill Dwyer, Warren police commissioner.
As scams targeting seniors are on the rise, Dwyer said residents need to be sure they see an identification from people claiming to be official, not just a badge.
"'They could've hurt you.' That's what everybody tells me. 'Don't think of that money, think of what could have happened,'" the victim said. "I just hope the two go to jail because they scare the hell out of me -- pardon my French. And I just don't want to see it happen to someone else."
Anyone with information about the scam is asked to call police at 586-574-4700.