Hobsons Bay council has warned residents to be wary of a man posing as a council officer conducting door-to-door animal registration checks.
A photo of a man seen doorknocking in Altona Meadows was last week posted on Facebook site Dog Theft Tracking Australia Wide, with some residents fearful the man was casing homes for dogs to steal.
Mayor Colleen Gates said the council was aware of reports of a person claiming to be a council officer checking pet registrations.
“Please contact police if you are approached by such a person,” she said.
“The community should know that council is not currently conducting random registration checks from door to door. Council’s authorised officers will always provide identification, wear the council uniform and display a name tag.”
The Facebook poster said a man aged in his 50s, wearing a lanyard presumably with ID around his neck, had been stopping at houses and typing information into an ipad or tablet.
Unusually, he was carrying an old-fashioned bell, which some residents suspected he might be using to see if a dog responded by barking.
Last week, Star Weekly reported Maribyrnong police were warning people about dodgy door-to-door tradesmen who were taking cash from the elderly before leaving without doing any work.
