My View of Life on the Dock
As most people on the North Shore have been inundated with phone calls from a scammer claiming to be from Amazon. THIS IS A SCAM, they are trying to get you give up your personal information. Yesterday we received over 30 calls on our business phone number. Today it is our cell phones. They have been using local area codes and local exchanges. Even when blocking number they just get another numberr. Just hang up. The Gloucester police also has been notified.
From the Gloucester Daily Times:
Close call for resident in energy scam
By Ray LamontStaff Writer
Gloucester police have put the kibosh to an apparent scam attempt involving the city’s new electricity service partnership.
A Riverside Avenue resident told police last week that solicitors representing a company called SFE Energy, out of Buffalo, New York, approached her home, and asked her about her home energy service.
She explained to them that she had signed on with a deal offered through the city’s new community electricity aggregation program, which launched last fall.
Under the program, a New York-based consulting firm, Green Energy LP, acts as a broker to find energy suppliers for the city, with the goal of helping residents save money on their bills and conserve energy in the process. The firm secured an agreement between the city and Direct Energy LLP, which took effect Dec. 1. Residents were automatically enrolled for a basic service program if they did not opt out.
So last week, the solicitors told the woman that the city’s agreement was expiring, and that she could and should switch her service to SFE, which was offering lower rates and a $75 rebate on the SFE program. She signed on. But there was a problem — none of what the solicitors told her was true.
The woman called police and the office of Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, all of whom assured her that thecity’s three-year energy deal with Direct Energy is not expiring.
“We investigated it,” said interim police Chief John McCarthy on Thursday. “We talked to the parent company (SFE) and they terminated service with their subcontractor (who had hired the solicitors working in Gloucester that day).”
McCarthy emphasized that SFE Energy was “very cooperative” and acted quickly upon hearing of the report. He also said that officers quickly confirmed there were no energy service solicitors who had obtained permits from police, as required, at the time.
“One contract (for service) that was signed was voided,” he added, with the contract likely being that of the resident who called.
Police logs of the incident indicated that officers who responded to the resident’s call and spoke to her were unable to locate the solicitors, and no criminal charges have been filed.
But McCarthy said the incident should serve as a reminder to all residents when it comes to dealing with solicitors.
“Anytime anyone is out soliciting, they need to have approval from the police,” he said, “and people should call to verify if someone (who approaches them) has that approval.”
Staff writer Ray Lamont can be reached at 978675-2705, or vie email at rlamont@gloucestertimes. com.
Other than four years of college in Virginia, I’ve lived on Cape Ann for my entire life….however, I’m also fairly well-traveled. I’ve traveled in Africa, I’ve been to Central America, I’ve been all over Mexico, to the Caribbean, the West Indies, and throughout the United States and into Canada. And, for what it’s worth, I’m pretty city savvy. I spent a lot of time playing in the city in my teens, 20s, and 30s….and photographed inside Fenway Park for several years in a row…heading in and out of Boston each night during home stands.
So, while I call this post “City Mouse, Country Mouse”…I’m not necessarily either. However, I sure as all hell played the role of Country Mouse the other night in Boston…and I am NOT happy about it.
I am truly, truly an idiot.
This is how it went down.
I was meeting a friend in the city…just outside of Faneuil Hall. I know the area well, but was heading to a particular parking garage that I had never been to. I took a left onto Broad Street and saw the 75 State Street Garage in the Financial District ahead…a bit ahead, on my right. The traffic was total clusterf___. Horns were honking. Almost in front of the entrance to the lot, a white taxi was stopped, coming from the opposite direction, blocking a good part of my lane so that I couldn’t go forward. A nice man, on a cell phone, with a pile of money in his hand, appeared in front of my car and helped me navigate my kind of large SUV around the taxi and towards the garage entrance. He asked if I was parking, asked how long, and asked me for $10. As I didn’t have a ten….I handed him a $20…with a smile. He flipped through his pile of cash….as if looking for change….and then said, “just pull on down there (pointing to the garage) for a second and I’ll catch you.” “No problem,” I said.
I’m not sure why I wasn’t on my A Game during that exact moment in time….but, it only took about 6 seconds for me to realize that effer was off with my $$$ and that I’d clearly not be seeing him or my “change” anytime soon. I literally sat on the entrance ramp to the garage for probably a minute contemplating how I could have been such an idiot. Large parking lots never ask for money outside upon arrival. I know that. Everyone knows that. I also replayed my short conversation with the “kind and helpful” gentleman….and couldn’t help but think what a tremendous actor he was. While I was mad as all heck….I also couldn’t help but give him kudos for standing right there…in the middle of a super crowded busy city street…stealing money in broad daylight. And doing so with such manners and such a calm demeanor.
Shame on him….shame on me.
You may be happy to know that dinner at Strega in the North End was excellent, drinks at the Sail Loft were just like old times, and the company of an amazing friend more than made up for the $20 that I was scammed. My ego, however, is still bruised.
Consider yourselves warned my friends.
Good Morning Gloucester 