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On Saturday, Nov. 28, Westport Police received a complaint from a business located in the Saugatuck Area in regards to being victimized by an apparent scam.
It was reported that an individual had entered the store and had spoken with a juvenile employee.
During the course of his conversation with the employee, the individual claimed to be working on behalf of the Westport Fire Department, stating that he was required to inspect the fire extinguishers kept on site.
The man ultimately claimed that both extinguishers maintained by the business needed to be replaced. He claimed that he had spoken with the store’s manager and provided a paper invoice in the amount of $198.15 to cover the cost of replacement that the manager had agreed would be paid in cash.
The invoice was labeled as being from “Metro Fire Prevention” of Norwalk, police said.
Metro Fire Prevention is the name of an actual company that provides building sprinkler system services, but is not based out of Norwalk and does not employ this individual.
The employee provided a cash payment and the men left the business, claiming that he would return with the two new extinguishers, but instead fled the area.
The suspect is described as being a white male in his 30s, approximately 6-feer tall and weighing around 190 pounds.
He was said to be wearing a black sweater with a blue button-up shirt underneath, blue jeans, and a black baseball cap, possibly attempting to mimic the appearance of a fire department official.
Officers are currently working to attempt to identify the suspect in this incident.
Local businesses should be aware that this is a known scam, and that those perpetrating it generally target establishments that employ younger people.
Anyone with information regarding the incident or is approached by the man, should contact the Westport Police Department at (203) 341-6000.
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