The Upper Macungie Township Police Department provided the following information regarding an alert issued by South Whitehall police on Nov. 30:

Around 4:30 p.m. Nov. 29 in the 3500 block of Catherine Avenue, it was reported a white male between the ages of 40- to 50-years-old, wearing a dark baseball hat, dark jacket, and what appeared to be an ID tag clipped to his jacket, came to the door of a residence claiming to be a water and sewer employee.

The man claimed he needed to go into the basement to check for contaminants, and he displayed some paperwork.

Refused entry, the man stated he was going to shut off the water.

When the residents said they were calling the police, the suspect left the area in an unmarked, white, newer model, extended cab pickup truck.

This scenario is consistent with distraction/imposter burglaries.

Distraction burglary is a crime in which elderly persons are often the targets.

The perpetrator seeks to distract the resident out of the house or to another area of the house while an accomplice enters the home and steals valuables such as money and jewelry.

To prevent distraction burglary, South Whitehall police urge residents to be suspicious of anyone who comes to their door claiming to be on official business.

It is a good idea to ask for identification, but unfortunately, that can be faked.

Instead, we suggest residents call the agency they claim to represent and confirm there are legitimate workers in the area or immediately contact the police.

After the alert was issued, the Upper Macungie Township Police Department was contacted by a resident of the 8000 block of Grady Drive, near police headquarters off Schantz Road, who said they had seen the alert and that a male matching that description had been at their home the previous day.

At this time, it is unknown if this is the same person who was involved in the South Whitehall incident.

However, we wanted to alert Upper Macungie residents about the situation, which remains under investigation.

If you or your family members are ever in a situation where you have concerns about someone who has appeared at your doorstep, contact Upper Macungie police at 610-437-5252 (nonemergency) or 911 (emergency).