Houston police warn of fake CenterPoint Energy workers wanting to break into homes

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – While thousands of people are homeless due to the winter storm in Houston, police say fake energy company workers are looking for their next target.

According to a tweet posted on Monday by the head of Art Acevedo, the police department received reports about people claiming to be CenterPoint Energy workers.

“We have reports of fraud that impersonates us [CenterPoint Energy] employees have access to homes to victimize occupants, “Acevedo wrote.” Restoring disruptions in our area due to severe weather does not require entry into residences. “

The Texas power grid suffered a system-wide failure Monday morning as demand rose due to historic winter conditions across the state.

Network managers have declared an emergency after record energy consumption strained utilities beyond capacity.

The outages in Texas could last for hours, even days, thanks to several power plants that are offline, according to officials. It is estimated that 75% of Texas’ energy production capacity is affected.

Acevedo asks anyone who sees suspicious behavior in his neighborhood to call 911 immediately.