Police say they need the public?s help in tracking down bogus utility workers who are scamming elderly homeowners.

Authorities say the thieves have hit Bergen, Middlesex, Union and Somerset counties and have gotten away with thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry. Bedminster police say a man in a white van came to a house on Old Dutch Road pretending to be a utility worker. The homeowner says the man told her he needed to check her water pressure, however, she wouldn?t let him inside.

Police say in similar incidents, one man usually acts as a decoy, while the other goes inside to steal cash and jewelry. Authorities urge all residents to call police if someone is at their door unannounced. Police say it is too early to tell if the same person is committing the crimes or if the thieves are copycats.