The first incident occurred on Tuesday, April 14, at a residence on Balejo Street in the Cruces neighborhood. An individual, claiming to be a company worker, was allegedly making changes to water meter stopcocks. Residents initially trusted his actions, but when he demanded a payment of 120 euros for an invoice, one resident refused and alerted the Local Police.
Upon arrival, officers confirmed that the alleged operative carried no identification, professional accreditation, or company logo, which the Barakaldo City Council emphasizes is mandatory for Water Consortium contractors. After investigation, it was determined that the intervention had not been authorized by any legitimate company.
“"Before authorizing any unannounced repair, and if the person does not reliably accredit their status as an authorized operative, intervention should not be allowed until the necessary checks have been carried out."
Later, the same individual attempted to carry out a similar scam at a nearby business, but this time he was not allowed to intervene and left the premises without performing any operation. Ángel Madrazo (PSE), the Councillor for Citizen Security, has warned that “we could be facing a fraud attempt that could be repeated” and has urged Barakaldo residents to exercise extreme caution. He also advised reporting any suspicions to the Local Police.
