LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) – During National Consumer Protection Week, Kentucky American Water wants to warn individuals to be wary of scams where individuals pose as water company employees to gain access to customers’ homes.
“We want our customers to know that Kentucky American Water employees always carry company-issued photo ID badges and will never come to a customer’s home demanding access in order to test water or collect payment,” said Kevin Rogers, vice president of operations. “Our employees come to your home to test water only if you request it or have previously agreed to be part of our water sampling program, and in-person payments are only allowed in our customer lobbies or at authorized payment centers listed on our website.”
It’s always better to err on the side of safety and confirm someone’s identity before allowing them inside your home.
- Stop and think. Are you expecting anyone to come to your home? Kentucky American Water does not typically send a service worker to your home unannounced. They will have an appointment before showing up. An exception would be if there were a water main break in the neighborhood. In those cases water company employees will knock on doors to advise customers of water service interruptions due to water main breaks or repairs, but they do not request entry to a customer’s home.
- Kentucky American Water employees have company-issued photo ID cards to verify their employment. If you cannot see an ID card without opening your door, you are encouraged to contact Kentucky American Water’s customer service center at 1-800-678-6301 for verification that the person at your door is a legitimate water company representative.
- Kentucky American Water employees drive company vehicles with a Kentucky American Water logo printed on the side and have a uniform, jacket or hat with the company logo, in addition to their company ID card. For a service-related visit requested by the customer, the vehicle would be visible to the customer and parked outside their home.
- Kentucky American Water employees do not request entry to your home after dark unless it is an emergency call requested by the customer or an appointment for service work that has been scheduled in advance by the customer.
- Kentucky American Water employees will never come to a customer’s home demanding payment of an unpaid bill to avoid water shut off. Field employees are not allowed to accept payments from customers.
- If in doubt regarding whether or not a visitor is a legitimate utility representative, you should always contact Kentucky American Water for employee verification or contact the local police department. Be sure to have the person wait outside your home, behind a locked door, while this verification is completed. A legitimate employee won’t mind waiting while you verify their employment information.
If you have doubts, don’t let someone in your home.
