Unfortunately, it seems there's hardly a week goes by when the local paper doesn't report some dastardly scam involving scum of the earth and trusting elderly people... the police are always reiterating to people that they should check callers' ID etc and people forget I guess. Even myself, the other day, we had a bloke round to read the electric meter, and I'm sure he was genuine (i.e. he read it and left and nothing was taken!) but you just never know do you?

Most of the gas/electric companies now in the UK will allow you to set a password, and when the guy comes round he will say that password to you, so you know he's genuine. Do you have that in the US?

Not that a password scheme is going to stop the low life dirtbags that con people in the kind of manner described above...

DeskDemon staff