Crime & Safety
Burglars Pose as PG&E Workers to Steal from Sunnyhills Road Home
Police and PG&E offer tips on how to avoid being the victim of a burglars' scam.
Piedmont and Oakland police are warning local residents about burglars posing as PG&E workers.
Two men contacted the owners of a home in the 1200 block of Sunnyhills Road in Oakland on Tuesday, Aug. 20, about 2:30 p.m. and said they needed to check an easement at the rear of the property, said Officer Johnna Watson of the Oakland Police Department.
While the owners — ages 80 and 90 — were in the backyard, burglars took jewelry and cash from inside the house, Watson said.
The suspects were described as Hispanic males, one about 35 to 40 years old and the other about 45 to 50. Both were wearing street clothes and one was wearing a hard hat, Watson said.
She said the suspects may have been carrying clipboards.
Piedmont Police Chief Rikki Goede said that no similar incidents have been reported in Piedmont recently, but that local residents should be alert because the Aug. 20 burglary was so close to the city limits.
Burglars who pose as utility workers are not uncommon, she said.
PG&E offers the following tips to help avoid these scams:
• Customers should always ask to see valid identification before allowing anyone claiming to be a PG&E representative inside their home. PG&E employees always carry their identification and are always willing to show it to you.
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• If a person claiming to be a PG&E employee has identification and you still feel uncomfortable, call PG&E’s customer service line at 1-800-PGE-5000 to verify an appointment and/or PG&E’s presence in the community.
• Customers who have an appointment with PG&E will receive an automated call back within 48 hours prior to a scheduled visit, or they will receive a personal call from a PG&E gas service representative prior to a scheduled visit.
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• Customers with concerns about the legitimacy of a call they receive about a past due bill, a service request or a request for personal information are encouraged to call PG&E at 1-800-PGE-5000.
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