El Paso Water, police warn of utility worker impersonators, misleading sales and scams

El Paso Marketing and Communications Manager, Christina Montoya show Flyers used in suspected scams at a news conference to address reports about misleading information about water quality and utility worker impersonation scams on Thursday at El Paso Police Headquarters.
GAGY VELASQUEZ/EL PASO TIMES

El Paso Times
Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times
September 8, 2023

El Paso authorities are warning about increasing complaints about unscrupulous door-to-door salespersons and scammers purporting to be from the El Paso Water utility.

El Paso Water wants "to send a very, very strong message to these perpetrators that we believe are really committing unethical business practices and misleading some customers here in El Paso," said Christina Montoya, communications and marketing manager for the water utility.

The "shady business practices" were the topic of a Thursday news conference at El Paso Police Headquarters held by officials with El Paso Water, the El Paso Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the Better Business Bureau.

Water 'public notice' flyers left at homes

Potentially misleading door-to-door sales tactics for water filtration systems have been around for years, but they are growing in frequency across El Paso County, Montoya said. El Paso Water is safe to drink, she added.

Flyers usually state "public notice. very important information about your water" with a telephone number to call without stating who is responsible for the flyer. In tiny print in the corner of one flyer is written: "*not related to EPWU."

"Those deceptive notices that can be left on doors are meant to mislead customers into purchasing water filtration systems that can cost upward to $10,000. They might get your attention by saying 'urgent' or 'water notice' and making it look like it comes from El Paso Water when in fact it doesn't," said Marybeth Stevens, president of the Better Business Bureau Paso Del Norte.

"We do want to point out that we are aware there are a lot of reputable water companies, water filtration companies in our community," said Stevens, adding that residents wanting a water filtration system should do their research.

Shady door-to-door sales

Another high-pressure tactic includes door-to-door salespersons, who may say or give the impression they are from El Paso Water and claim they need to perform a home water quality test on the spot. Water-filtration peddlers have also posed as public health workers in the past.

El Paso Water staff will never show up at a customer's door saying they need to do a water test at a home because such tests are done at the utility's water quality laboratory, Montoya said.

In one case, a customer was tricked into signing an $8,000 contract for a water filtration system, officials said.

"If you ever feel pressured or coerced to buy one of these systems, that's a red flag," Stevens said.

Utility cutoff scam

Scammers posing as El Paso Water utility workers have also visited, or called, homes demanding immediate payment, threatening to cut off water service, officials said.

El Paso Water never demands immediate payment, especially in cash at a home, and would never ask for payment via a gift card or a cash app, officials said.

El Paso County sheriff's Cmdr. Jerome Washington warned that it's against the law to impersonate a public servant. The crime is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

What do I do if I get a suspicious flyer, suspect a scam?

Homeowners who received a water quality "public notice" flyer are advised not to call the telephone number on the flyer. If residents have questions or concerns, call El Paso Water customer service at 915-594-5500 or visit epwater.org.

If residents are victims of a scam, they may call the nonemergency numbers of the El Paso Police Department at 915-832-4400 or the El Paso County Sheriff's Office at 915-832-4408.

Suspected scams can also be shared with the Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker at bbb.org/scamtracker, which includes a public database of scams that can be checked if you suspect you are being scammed.

El Pasoans should also trust their instincts. "If something doesn't seem right, it's probably not right," Sgt. Javier Sambrano, an El Paso police spokesman, said.