GUYANA Water Inc. (GWI), on Monday, cautioned customers countrywide to continue being vigilant as there are persons posing as its employees, going around fleecing unsuspecting customers of money. The caution followed the disclosure, by Divisional Revenue Manager, East Berbice, Mr. Mark Ramdial, that a man is in Police custody after he tried to defraud a customer at Nigg, Corentyne, last week Monday.
Ramdial related that, at about 14:00 hrs, he received a telephone call from the customer who stated that a man claiming he was a GWI employee asked for $1,000 after examining her meter.
But the fraudster did not have a GWI identification card and the woman said she became suspicious when he did not produce a badge, at her request, and she immediately contacted the GWI office in her area.
Ramdial said he advised the customer that the agency did not have any campaign in that area and he requested her to keep the person occupied until he got there.
He said, when he arrived at the woman’s residence, the man was under the house talking and, right away, he recognised that the man was not employed by GWI and was promptly taken to Albion Police Station.

CON ARTIST
Ramdial told the Guyana Chronicle that the con artist is of Indian descent, was well dressed, had a bag with some money and a notebook but refused to give his name and address.
The suspect is not known to be from the Nigg area but farther along the Corentyne and has a regular practice of going around collecting money under false pretence.
The GWI official said, last year, there was a similar occurrence in Berbice and the man was dealt with legally.
Ramdial, however, maintained that customers must call any GWI office to report illegal and suspicious activities by persons pretending to be employees.
Reports can be made on the GWI hotline telephone number 227-8703, e-mail pro@gwi.gy or post photos on GWI’s facebook page at www.facebook.com/everydropcountsgy.