Scam Alert: Brooklyn Union Maintenance Wants to Check Your Gas Line

If Brooklyn Union Maintenance (not to be confused with Brooklyn Union Gas, which merged with LILCO to become KeySpan, which became National Grid) calls or shows up to your door and wants to do a "gas line inspection," just say no.

Though National Grid transports the gas, other companies can supply it--much like how you might purchase electricity from someone other than Con Edison. But the same way you can be scammed by shady electricity providers, Brooklyn Union Maintenance is known for sketchy practices, like causing damage to a gas line but claiming it was already damaged, so that you have to pay to repair it.

In 2009 they were scamming people in Coney Island, in 2010 they were hitting up Bay Ridge, and in May the state attorney general's office began investigating the company for fraud.

Now we may be seeing activity in our area. Ditmas Deb warns us that she got a call from Brooklyn Union wanting to set up an inspection of her gas line:

They claim this is required by law for private homes since 2009. They sounded very convincing. They wanted to know what time/date was convenient for me. I did some checking, with the city and the gas company and on-line.

1. There is no such law.

2. This company (which is NOT the gas company - the gas company changed its name several years ago) comes in to "check your gas line" and tries to sell you something else - technology, new pipes, a variety of things. There was even a complaint that they broke the gas line to force a sale on the home owner.

3. The company's name seems to be Brooklyn Union Maintenance, and they used to do rip-off chimney inspections until they discovered this gas line ruse.

4. I said not to come, and they said they'd send me a violation in the mail and I could go to court. TOTAL LIES.

5. I probably sound angrier than I really feel, since I didn't fall for it. But I can imagine what problems this could cause for trusting people (if there are any left these days.)