Author: nicerwin1

During the last week of December 2022, some residents were surprised when a man in a yellow vest came to their door asking to inspect their gas meter. The man drove a small white car with a car magnet displaying his company information, Southern Cross. One of our Board Directors came into contact with the man and reached out to CPS to verify that the company was ligitimate. They confirmed the company was a contractor and that the purpose was to ensure functionality of the meter and also to check for corrosion or damage. The routine inspections will continue for the foreseeable future, likely, with various companies. They further stated that the contracted company would be in our area for the next couple of weeks. When asked if they sent any notifications about these inspections, CPS stated that they had not sent any communication. Feedback was provided to them that they should alert our residents about forthcoming inspections by mail, email, and/or text according to their preferences in their account. The Board hopes that they will take note of this for the future.

The CPS respresentative was friendly and confirmed that it was the right thing to do to call them as there are many scams, particularly during the holidays when people are home. Here are some suggestions on what to do when someone comes to your home:

• Do not let anyone inside your home.
• Communicate via a doorbell security camera or use a latch to open the door just enough to speak.
• Be polite and speak in a calm but firm tone.
• Ask to see their ID and note their name.
• Contact the company to verify the worker.
• Never indicate that you are alone if someone is not at home with you.
• Some suggested language (modify to suit your situation): “My spouse and I are in the middle of a project right now. Let me ask if this is a good time. We would like to verify you with CPS first. Could you please return later? Give me a moment to get the key so that I can unlock the gate and we can go look together.”
• If you feel unsafe call the police.

We hope that this provides some peace of mind to those that are affected. Share this post with a neighbor and help us get the word out. Look for a newsletter in the coming weeks with more safety tips. You may also be interested in reading our Neighborhood Watch page.