Bogus social work warning

Home care recipients in Nottinghamshire have been warned by
Nottingham Council to be on their guard following reports of a
spate of bogus social work visits.

A woman posing as a social worker stole £150 from a
disabled man’s home in Nottingham last week after she conned her
way into his house.

The incident follows another theft in April from an older woman
who let a woman posing as a social services officer into her home
after she claimed she could help increase her benefit income. A
further theft was thwarted when another older person became
suspicious and refused a bogus social worker entry.

A spokesperson for Nottingham social services department said:
“All social services staff who go into people’s homes carry proof
of their identity and will gladly produce it on request.

“If householders are in any doubt about the motives of someone
who knocks on their door unexpectedly, they should not let them in,
they should ask to see identification, and if they suspect a bogus
official they should call the police.”