Con artists selling water filters target Mesa neighborhood

PHOENIX — City of Mesa residents should beware of aggressive salespeople trying to sell unnecessary water filters door-to-door, a spokeswoman said this week.

“[The private company is] telling people their water contains chemicals, and that the city needs to filter their water,” said Kathy MacDonald with the Water Resources Department.

“They’re also saying if these customers do not purchase a filter, they will be fined.”

MacDonald said none of that was true; the city’s water meets all state and federal drinking water standards.

“These individuals are not City of Mesa employees,” she said. “Unfortunately, we don’t know who this company is.”

City employees were easy to spot, MacDonald said.

“Look for a name badge, a uniform, and a vehicle with the City of Mesa logo. If you’re suspicious about someone attempting to gain access to your home, report the incident to the Mesa Police Department.”

So far, only residents of the Heritage Park neighborhood near Mesa Drive and U.S. 60 have reported the individuals.

A page on the city website said water resources staff never try to gain access to a home or sell water-related goods or services.

Residents should call the department at 480-644-4444 to verify the identity immediately.

MacDonald said verifying an employee’s identity may take a few minutes. However, “Better to be safe than sorry … We welcome calls from people trying to verify a person’s identity –- we want our residents to be safe.”

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