Con Edison Robberies? Reports Of Thieves Dressed As New York City Utility Workers Unconfirmed

Are Thieves Dressing As Utility Workers And Robbing People?
FILE -In this Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, file photo, workers clear debris outside the Consolidated Edison power sub-station on 14th Street. After a gigantic wall of water defied elaborate planning and swamped underground electrical equipment at a Consolidated Edison substation in Manhattan's East Village, about 250,000 lower Manhattan customers were left without power. (AP Photo/ John Minchillo, File)
FILE -In this Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, file photo, workers clear debris outside the Consolidated Edison power sub-station on 14th Street. After a gigantic wall of water defied elaborate planning and swamped underground electrical equipment at a Consolidated Edison substation in Manhattan's East Village, about 250,000 lower Manhattan customers were left without power. (AP Photo/ John Minchillo, File)

Rumors are flying that thieves dressed as Con Edison workers are taking advantage of Hurricane Sandy victims and robbing people in several neighborhoods across Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Twitter users are warning locals not to trust Con Ed workers at their homes, and the New York Post and Wall Street Journal have both talked to residents in in Gerritsen Beach and the Lower East Side who say they're aware of robberies in their area by phony utility workers. But as the Atlantic Wire points out, police in New York City and Con Ed representatives have yet to confirm the reports.

The tweet above has been shared over news and social networking sites hundreds of times. Henry Choi in the Lower East Side of Manhattan told WSJ that his building management posted extra security at the door due to the reported robberies. The rumors have grown, and publications like The Daily Mail are already reporting them as fact.

Details beyond that are sketchy, but the Atlantic Wire reports that the rumors of thieves disguised as Con Ed workers have circulated before. Last June, a Ditmas Park resident said that several faux utility workers came to his home.

Still, the NYPD and Con Ed are taking the stories seriously. Patch reported that residents are warned to turn away any workers who don't have proper ID. Con Ed said anyone suspecting an impostor should call 1-800-75CONED.

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The Huffington Post is eager for insights from our community, especially people with experience in power, infrastructure and engineering, on the adequacy of emergency preparation in advance of Hurricane Sandy, and the degree to which past disasters have informed adequate planning and construction. Please send a note to sandytips@huffingtonpost.com with insights and suggestions for the important questions that need to be asked of relevant private sector and government officials, and point us toward stories that need to be pursued.

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