Police are appealing for witnesses following a report of a bogus workman in the east of the city which took place around 3pm on Sunday.
A man attended a block of flats on Northfield Broadway, near its junction with Northfield Road, and told a female occupant that he had cleaned the communal windows.
The resident became immediately suspicious of the claim, as she knew that the man was not the usual cleaner.
She told him to leave the building before raising the alarm with police.
Local officers are now carrying out inquiries into the matter and are appealing for information to help trace the individual.
He is described as white, in his 40s, around 6ft tall, well built, had a Scottish accent, short light brown hair and wore a checked shirt with dress trousers.
Inspector Neil Clyde who is based in Portobello said: “Fortunately, the local resident on this occasion was suspicious enough not to entertain the claims made by this unknown man.
“She did exactly the right thing and I would encourage others never to hand over money or personal details to unsolicited callers who don’t have proper identification or evidence of who they represent.
“Bogus workmen can be extremely convincing but our message is a simple one, don’t hand over cash to people you don’t know. Instead, pick up the phone and report the matter to police.
“We will treat all such incidents seriously and will do everything we can to trace and arrest those who take part in this offence.
“We’d urge anyone who may have been a victim of this type of crime to contact us, or a trusted neighbour or relative, as soon as possible.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
