It was a typical rainy Tuesday morning when Mrs. Jenkins heard a knock on her door. She wasn’t expecting any visitors, especially not at 8 am. Curious, she made her way to the front door and peered through the peephole. Standing on her doorstep was a man in overalls, holding a clipboard and a toolbox.

Mrs. Jenkins cautiously opened the door, not sure what the man wanted. He introduced himself as Jim, the gas man, and said he was there to check her gas line for leaks. Mrs. Jenkins was surprised, as she hadn’t requested any gas service.

Jim quickly flashed a badge with the gas company’s logo on it and handed her a laminated ID card. Mrs. Jenkins, not wanting to be rude, invited him in. Jim made his way to the kitchen where the gas line was located.

As he inspected the pipes, Mrs. Jenkins noticed something off about Jim. He seemed fidgety and was sweating profusely. She started to feel uneasy and decided to ask him a few questions about his credentials.

Jim hesitated for a moment before answering, and Mrs. Jenkins could tell he was lying. She demanded to see his ID again, and upon closer inspection, she realized it was fake. The badge looked like it had been printed off a computer, and the ID card had spelling errors.

Mrs. Jenkins’s heart started to race as she realized she had let a stranger into her home under false pretenses. She quickly told Jim she needed to make a phone call and stepped into the living room.

As she dialed 911, she heard a loud crash coming from the kitchen. She rushed back to find Jim rummaging through her cabinets. He had knocked over a vase in his haste and was now fumbling to pick up the broken pieces.

Mrs. Jenkins screamed, causing Jim to freeze in his tracks. He turned to face her, a look of fear in his eyes. Before he could make a move, the police arrived, responding to her 911 call.

Jim was arrested on the spot and taken into custody. It turns out he had a criminal record for scamming elderly homeowners by posing as a gas inspector. He would gain entry into their homes, steal valuables, and disappear before anyone realized they had been duped.

Mrs. Jenkins was shaken by the experience but grateful that she had caught on to Jim’s deception before it was too late. She learned a valuable lesson about trusting strangers who show up unannounced at her door.

In the end, Mrs. Jenkins vowed to always verify the credentials of anyone claiming to be a service provider before letting them into her home. It was a small price to pay for her safety and peace of mind. And as for Jim, he was sentenced to several years in prison for his bogus gas man scheme, never to deceive innocent victims again.