Scammers in Imperial Valley take advantage of heat

Individuals going door-to-door claiming to be with Imperial Irrigation District - News 11's Wiley Jawhary reports

IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Temperatures in the Imperial Valley are rising, and so are scammers. Imperial County residents are reporting that individuals are going up to their doors claiming to be with the City of El Centro or Imperial Irrigation District (IID).

The IID is letting customers know that they have not been going door-to-door in recent months. IID Public Information Officer Robert Schettler says that this happens "every now and then."

One Imperial Valley resident by the name of Rosa, says her family was almost scammed, but she saw the warning signs.

"He kinda, like, showed his badge to me, and I did see he was wearing other attire that was not IID related,” she said.

Scammers use the IID name illegally to drive sales. On top of that, the legitimacy of their products are unknown. This scammer was asking for access to the backyard.

"Some people out there are going door to door asking IID customers to see their meter or bill, to qualify them for a solar-system program,” he said.

As for the Scammers, the IID advises customers to call them during any times of uncertainty. Rosa adds that just because someone greets you by first and last name doesn’t mean they're legitimate.

"When he indicated that the IID sent him out there, I said 'wait a minute, the I-I-D does not usually do that,"' Rosa said.

The IID reassures customers that they have no affiliation or working arrangements with door to door vendors or telemarketers selling solar systems. They advise customers to call (760) 339-9379 during any times of uncertainty.

Meanwhile a conserve alert remains in effect for the Imperial Valley.