PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
Police have a warning about two women possibly casing homes in Northeast Portland, posing as meter readers.
On Thursday, two home owners in the Alameda neighborhood reported seeing women dressed in orange vests walking around the back of their homes.
Both residents checked with Pacific Power and officials say none of their meter readers were in the area.
On a rare day off work, Melissa Melcher was home at 10 a.m. Thursday when she looked out the window and saw a woman walking up her driveway.
She was wearing an orange vest and holding a device so Melcher figured she was a meter reader.
But a few hours later, Melcher saw a warning on Facebook about phony meter readers casing the neighborhood.
"When I heard about these people going around as meter readers and possibly breaking into places, I called Pacific Power to ask if was anybody here today and they said no," said Melcher.
Police said two women were spotted near Northeast 31st and Knott and 29th and Fremont.
That's where officers said a woman tried to get into a house and then ran when she caught the home owner's attention.
The woman Melcher saw did not try to come inside, but she thinks she was trying to get a lay of the land.
"I felt like she was either looking to see what we keep near the windows, how can I get in or is anybody home right now."
Pacific Power managers said their meter readers will always be wearing a shirt and a vest with a company logo and an ID badge.
They will only come to your house once a month, around the same time, and officials say they'll invite you to call the main office to verify their employment.
Officers say they have at least one description - they are looking for a Hispanic woman in an orange vest in a dirty, white cargo van.
If you have any tips, call Portland police.
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