Find Posts By Topic

Thief Poses As Plumber to Scam 91-Year-Old, Other Seattle Residents

Seattle police are working to flush out a thief, who’s been posing as a plumber and draining the wallets of residents in South and West Seattle.

In five different cases between January 22nd and April 8th, the suspect has approached women–all between the ages of 76 and 91–at their homes, claimed to work for Fox Plumbing, and then tried to snake his way inside to steal 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.

Police are still working to identify the suspect, who victims described as a white male, between 50 and 60 years old, about 6’0, and heavyset. Police are also looking for any other victims, who may not have reported being targeted by the man.

If you have any information about this case or the suspect, please call detectives at (206) 386-1858