Barrington resident: Phony cable worker tried to enter house

A Lamson Road resident in Barrington contacted police on Monday, Sept. 25 at about 1 p.m., after a man came to her home and asked to enter, stating he was a worker with a communications company.

The resident said the man did not show any ID and was not wearing a uniform. The man reportedly said he was with Cox Communications. The resident described him as being about six-foot-one, with gray hair, and wearing suspenders. She also said he might have had a beard and/or mustache.

The resident wrote in an online post: "This is an old white man with whitish-gray hair, tan or windburned skin, jeans + suspenders, maybe 6' 1", maybe mustache/beard, maybe glasses? Not fat, but maybe a big belly? He said he needed to come in because the neighborhood had internet problems and they were possibly related to something in my house."

The resident further described the incident: "He was gently, politely insistent that I let him in and was annoyed when I did not. I was thinking a nicer person would have let him in, and this scares me. Cox confirms they would never come to a house unannounced/uninvited and would always have 'Cox' gear on. FYI. Please tell your local friends."

Police responded to the area and located a Cox Communications company truck at a nearby home and spoke with the worker. Police said the worker did not fit the resident's description.