City impostors run out of Penticton

PENTICTON – The City of Penticton and Penticton RCMP feel they have resolved the issue of a group of men attempting to access city residences under the guise of being a city employee: They can't do business here anymore.

The city issued the warning yesterday, April 26, following a number of complaints from residents of men attempting to gain access to people’s homes by intimating or pretending to be city employees.

Penticton Communications Officer Tina Lee says the impostors were tracked down and RCMP officers witnessed them exhibiting aggressive behaviour yesterday.

The men were investigated and found to have a valid, valley-wide business license issued out of Kelowna, permitting them to operate in Penticton.

However, they did not have the authority to represent Penticton city employees.

Lee says the city has revoked their Penticton operating permit after being advised by RCMP. She says a letter was issued to them today, and one of the company’s owners has apologized to the city, promising to contact City Hall prior to any future business in the city.

“The complaints continued to come in, even as we were in the process of revoking their business permit,” Lee says, adding the company was trying to sell something.

She says there are still unanswered questions about the company involved but both the city and RCMP are satisfied the issue has been resolved, the company has ceased operations here and citizens will no longer be troubled by them.

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