Warning: That Verizon Service Tech Might Be a Burglar

Authorities on Florida’s Gulf Coast are warning residents to be on the lookout for men who are posing as Verizon or Bright House Networks service techs in order to burglarize residences there.

So far, police say, residents haven’t been fooled. But they’re worried that one of the would-be burglars someday might be successful. There could be as many as five men involved in the scam.

The last incident was reported on Friday, when a man pretending to be a Verizon tech tried to get inside a condo in Bradenton, Fla. He wore a jacket with the Verizon logo and even showed an ID badge when the resident asked for ID. Fortunately, the homeowner was suspicious and called police. The man took off in what neighbors describe as a dark SUV.

Verizon says its only door-to-door activity anywhere in the U.S. is for sales. Those individuals are contracted through 20/20 Communities. They are not issued Verizon jackets in Florida – though they may be elsewhere. They wear polo shirts with the 20/20 ID clipped to the shirt. Verizon service techs may have Verizon jackets on or may not.