'I was afraid': Victim shares story after man posing as plumber steals cash, valuables



SEATTLE -- Seattle police are warning residents of a new scam where a man is posing as a plumber to steal from residents.

One of the victims is Ginny Anderson, who said she let the man in her home because she feared he might hurt her.

“I knew right from the start this was a scam but I was frightened, but I didn’t know which way to go,” said Anderson. “I had a cell phone in my pocket, but I was afraid to use it.”

Police report five cases between January 22nd and April 8th when the suspect has approached women, age 76 to 91, and claimed to be a plumber. He then cons his way into their homes and steals cash, credit cards and IDs.

"In the first incident, the suspect approached a woman at her home in the 4700 block of 25th Ave SW, said he was working at a neighbor’s home, and needed to check her water. The victim allowed the man inside, where he strolled from room to room, turning on faucets before leaving. The victim became suspicious and called Fox Plumbing, only to learn they did not have anyone working in the area. She then discovered the suspect had stolen cash, credit cards and her ID.

"About a month later, the suspect pulled the same scam on a woman in the 4400 block of S. Morgan Street.

"On February 24th and 26th, the man approached residents in the 9100 block of Beacon Avenue S. and the 4500 block of S. Juneau Street, but neither one would let the man into their homes. In one case, he claimed to be working on a broken water main; in the other. In the other, he tried to convince a woman she owed him money for repairs, despite the fact that she hadn’t had any plumbing work done at her home.

Finally, on April 8th, the suspect talked his way into a home in the 6600 block of S. Bangor Street with a story about a broken water main. He asked the victim to turn on water in two different rooms, while he took the opportunity to steal $300 from her bedroom."


Fox Plumbing has tips on how to make sure you are not dealing with an impostor. They say all of their workers are issued yellow vans with the tech's name on both doors. All technicians wear yellow Fox Plumbing uniforms, and they would never arrive without a homeowner requesting it. They give a courtesy call and e-mail with a photo of the tech before arriving at a customer's home.

Detectives are working to identify the suspect who is described as a white man between 50-60 years old, 6' 0", and heavyset.

Investigators would like to hear from anyone else who may be a victim of this scam.

If you have any information, call detectives at 206-386-1858.