Fraud Comes Knocking with Door-to-Door Scams

Summer is prime time for people to come knocking on your door for a variety of reasons. But it’s not just sketchy salespeople you need to be wary of. Not every scammer hides behind a computer or a phone. Some have the audacity to knock and try to rip you off in person. And since many people find it harder to say “No” when they can’t just hang up the phone or block the scammer, these tactics are especially likely to work. Protect yourself by learning how to spot door-to-door scams and practicing strategies to foil their plans.

How Door-to-Door Scams Work

Door-to-door scams are generally quite straightforward. A scammer comes up to your door and tries to get you to do something. They have a cover story that seems legitimate. What that story is and what they want you to do varies depending on their ploy. (Learn more about those in the next section!) But their goal is always the same. They want money – which means either stealing from you directly or getting your personal information so they can steal your identity or sell your data for a profit.

These scammers are banking on two things. First, they’re hoping the fact that you’re seeing them in person makes them seem more legitimate. They’ll do their best to look genuine. And they know that while many people don’t trust phone calls and emails these days, few people expect a scammer to show their face at your front door. Second, they’re hoping to use psychology against you. It’s relatively easy to hang up a phone call, delete an email, or block a number that’s texting you. But most people want to be polite, and some people have a hard time saying “No” to a pushy salesperson even when they’re not interested. They hope the rules of politeness or your struggles to decline a high-pressure pitch will make you give in even if you know it’s a bad idea.

Types of Door-to-Door Scams

Scammers are creative, and there’s as many different types of door-to-door scams as there are scammers bold enough to try them. But these are some of the most common varieties you may see.

Slamming

Slamming is a specific type of scam with the goal to switch you to a fraudulent utility provider. These scammers show up pretending to be a from a utility company. They have some pretense for why they want to see your most recent bill, or they need you to sign something. But what they’re doing is switching you to a new provider. Your bill has a code that they can use to switch providers for you, or they’re trying to get you to sign a new provider agreement.

The most dangerous part of slamming is that you may not even know it happened. Most of the time, your bill looks exactly the same, just with a small note at the bottom mentioning that your services is now through a new provider. And, of course, the rate is higher. You pay more for utilities, and the scammers profit.

Security System Scams

There’s a whole category of door-to-door scams dealing with your security system. These scammers show up at your door claiming to be from your security company – or that their company has a partnership with, is separating from, or is merging with your company. They want to do something with your service or equipment.

The most common version is similar to slamming. They’re trying to switch you to a new company without you knowing. You may get told that you’re eligible for a free equipment upgrade, or that there’s a problem or recall and they need to replace your system, or something similar. Either way, the result is that they want you to sign something and they replace your security company’s equipment with their own. What you’ve signed is really a new contract. But since you haven’t cancelled with your original company, now you’re on the hook for two bills. Worse, if you try to cancel with your original company, they’ll want their equipment back – but you can’t return it because the scammers took it (and sold it for even more profit).

A less-common version of a security system scam doesn’t involve replacing your equipment or even asking you to sign something. Instead, they need to run some tests, check something, upgrade software, or some other excuse for why they need access. They ask for your security code. When you give it to them, they poke around for a little bit, tell you everything’s resolved, and leave. But what they’ve really done is disabled some of your security controls – and now they have your code. They’ll come back later to rob you.

Fishy Sales

When you first heard the phrase “door-to-door scams,” fishy salespeople were probably what popped into your mind. Summer is the most common time for salespeople to go door to door selling products. These products may be real, may be poor quality, or may not even exist. But they’re almost guaranteed to be overpriced.

Sometimes, these salespeople claim to be from companies that don’t exist. So when the product doesn’t arrive, breaks, or becomes dangerous, there’s nobody to complain to. If you pay for it with a credit card, they may even steal your credit card information. And in rare but not unheard-of situations, the “salespeople” may care less about making the sale than about casing your house for a future robbery.

Aid Programs

There are a wide variety of aid programs offered by charities and state and local governments that can help people with all sorts of things. Many of them are smaller or specialized programs that most people haven’t heard of. Scammers love to take advantage of this. Door-to-door aid program scams have scammers claiming to help enroll you in various aid programs.

The most common story is help with paying your utility bills. They tell you that they can get you enrolled. The program will set up a new account for you, and you’ll pay that account instead of your bill. But this hurts you in multiple ways. First, setting up a new account is a reason to ask for a lot of personal information – often enough to steal your identity. Second, you’re still paying your bill, but it’s going to the scammers, not to your utility company. So you’re sending the money, but as far as the company knows, you’ve just stopped paying. Because you’re still paying, but paying the wrong people, you’re at risk of getting your service turned off.

How to Spot Door-to-Door Scams

Door-to-door scams can be challenging to spot. But there are often signs that something is amiss. Beware of these signs that the person at your door isn’t who they claim to be.

• Inappropriately dressed. And that doesn’t just include unprofessional clothing. If they’re dressed nicely but their clothes are generic, be cautious. Almost every company that sends someone to your door has branded clothing for representatives.
• Unspecific company. Someone from a real company will tell you the company name. If they don’t offer it, ask. Even a scammer may get it right. But if they won’t give you a company name, that’s a scam.
• Ask for ID. An official employee will have an employee ID or badge they can show you. If they don’t want to show it to you, claim they’ve forgotten it or that the company doesn’t do that, or try to convince you it’s not necessary, be suspicious. Also be wary if they do show ID but it looks cheap, fake, or otherwise weird.
• Call the company. Verify anyone at your door by calling the company they claim to be from. Use a number you know or look up yourself, not one they give you! If they try to convince you not to verify them, that’s a scam.
• Suspicious signatures. If they want you to sign something but won’t let you read it first, that’s a scam. And if their request doesn’t match their story – like they want you to sign a work order but the document says “contract” or “agreement” – it’s a scam.
• Pressure, urgency, or strong emotions. These are all major signs of a scam. If you feel rushed or pressured, be suspicious. And if you feel any strong emotion, whether it’s positive or negative, it’s time to take a step back and verify.

How to Avoid Door-to-Door Scams

Taking a few precautions ahead of time can go a long way towards protecting you from door-to-door scams. Being aware of the issue is a huge first step. These steps can also help.

Avoiding Fishy Sales and Aid Programs

Have a policy that you don’t make decisions, purchase anything, or sign up for anything on the spot. Tell door-to-door people that. You could even put up a notice to that effect on your door. If just turning them away feels too rude, you can also invite them to leave their contact information and any brochures or informational materials they have and you’ll call them back if you’re interested. Definitely don’t let them inside.

If the brochure or other material they leave does look interesting, do some research on your own before you contact them. Never sign anything without knowing exactly what you’re signing and reading through it first. And if they get pushy or aggressive, or if they yell, pressure you, or threaten you, don’t feel bad slamming the door on them. Even if they’re not a scammer, you probably don’t want to work with a company that hires people like that to represent them to potential customers!

Avoiding Slamming and Security System Scams

You should know in advance what to expect from representatives of the companies you work with. Most companies know scams are out there and have tools to help you verify. Contact companies and ask what signs to look for or proof that you can ask for. Almost all of them have specific uniforms representatives wear or ID they can show you. Some have hotlines or websites that you can use to look up the person at your door.

It’s also a good idea to have the contact information for all your service providers – all of your utilities, your security company, your insurance, and anyone else – near your door. This makes it easy for you to ask the person at the door to wait just a moment while you call to verify. Legitimate people understand that you’re committed to safety and won’t mind waiting. Only scammers will get upset about that. If they can’t be verified, you don’t have to open the door again. And if they get aggressive or won’t leave, you can call the police.

Be Suspicious of Everyone at Your Door

An easy way to avoid door-to-door scams is just to avoid people who go door-to-door in general. You are not obligated to answer the door! A “no soliciting” sign on your door can help turn these door-to-door people away. And it may make it easier for you to shut the door on them if you can point out that they’re the rude one for ignoring your sign.

If you’re concerned about missing some information, offer, or sale that someone coming to your door might have, consider putting up a sign with a box or bin beneath it where people can drop off contact information and any flyers or brochures they have. That way you can see if you’re actually interested and do a little research first.

Whatever you decide to do, don’t make decisions at the front door. It’s not just good for avoiding door-to-door scams. It can also help you avoid making other decisions you’ll regret.

Protect Your Neighbors and Loved Ones

Awareness is one of the best defenses against door-to-door scams. Let your neighbors and loved ones know that these scams are out there. And let them know how to identify and avoid them, too. Sharing this article is a good start.

If you’ve encountered a door-to-door scam, it’s also important to report it. Whether or not you actually got caught in it, reporting it can help stop the scammer and protect others. If the person is pretending to be a representative of a company, you can report it to your local police non-emergency line and to the company itself. Give as much detail as possible, including what they looked like, what they were wearing, what story they told you, and what they wanted you to do.

You can also report any door-to-door scams you encounter to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the Better Business Bureau’s BBB Scam Tracker. These reports help anyone trying to verify if something is a scam, and also provides data for law enforcement tracking and prosecuting scammers.