Sharpsville police warn of possible insurance scam
SHARPSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) – Sharpsville police are investigating a possible insurance scam that could make your home more vulnerable to burglaries. Police say a man has been taking photos of houses and claiming to work for a fake insurance company.
Police have been trying to track the man down and talk to him to see if he is doing legitimate work, but they haven’t had much luck. They say what they’ve heard from residents so far is very suspicious and they want people to be alert.
According to Sharpsville Police, a homeowner called 911 after a man came to the door claiming to be with an insurance company called Mutual Reliable Insurance. The man wanted to take pictures of the house, but the homeowner sensed something wasn’t right.
“He couldn’t provide any information and had no identification whatsoever. He had no paperwork,” said Town Marshal Ray Sheppard.
Sheppard says he’s also looked into the insurance company, and hasn’t been able to find one by that name.
“I’ve done research. I’ve reached out to people, they’ve never heard of this company,” said Sheppard.
He told 24-Hour News 8 at this point, he does not believe the man was working for an insurance company. He went on to say there have been numerous burglaries in Tipton County and he wants people to be vigilant.
“In this situation I think that it could be very dangerous. I don’t necessarily foresee that. I don’t want that, obviously, that’s why I put the information out as quick as I could,” said Sheppard.
There is only a vague description of the suspect. Police say he was driving a newer model of a dark gray four-door passenger car.
“I don’t want to put any insurance inspectors in harms way… but I think that you should be able to provide some kind of information so the homeowner feels more at ease,” said Sheppard.
Police say if someone comes to your door claiming to be with an insurance company ask them to provide credentials, or call your insurance company to verify that someone is supposed to be at your house.
