Doorstep fraud

Doorstep Fraud happens when bogus tradespeople try to enter your house by offering services like plumbing, landscaping your yard, paving your driveway, setting up a security service, or selling products door-to-door where they trick you into allowing them to enter and pay them money. Door-to-door fraudsters target older adults living alone, with multiple assets or alone at home during the daytime. 

How Do Doorstep Scams Happen?

• They pressure you to buy something you do not need, only to get access to your house and other details, or they claim to be from the utility office - gas or electricity, and they do not have an official ID badge. They may try to enter your house as traders, fake police or bogus bank staff who come to your door seeking personal and bank details like name, PIN, and bank cards. They offer to go to your bank with you to get payment upfront. 

• Strangers in the group try to enter the house for free home inspections and offer plumbing, electrical or other services. Once they enter the property, they spot something you may require and may offer to fix it. The visitor claims the work is urgent and you need to make immediate payment. If you allot work, they may suddenly ask to pay upfront and disappear without completing or even starting the work.

• They claim to be from a security company where they tell crimes are happening in your area and inspect the house for security checks, but they may be stealing or looking around to come back later. If you already have a security system, they offer to upgrade and trick you into removing the previous equipment. They get your details and enrol your house into a new contract, and you end up paying for more than one security service. 

• They come in pairs or groups; one person enters through the front door intending to burglary, and the other enters from the side or rear. They try to gain access to your bank details like name, credit card details and others. 

• They may be polite, sometimes pushy, pressurise you to buy something you may not require or sell low-value items and disappear. They make unexpected unwanted deliveries that you did not order. 

How To Identify Doorstep Scams?

• Frauds UK ask for an upfront payment. Licensed contractors will not ask you to pay the entire cost of the work upfront, and as per law, they cannot seek payment of more than one-third of the total cost of the work upfront. 

• Per the door-to-door charity collection rules, they must possess a registered charity number. 

• In such frauds, the UK asks to pay in cash, creating urgency to get payment as quickly as possible.

• They do not have a permit to sell door-to-door.

• Those offering repair or electrical work will not provide a written agreement or quote before they start work. Such UK scammers do not have any identification to claim who they work for, while they claim they are helping by working at a low cost.

Keeping Your Home Safe

UK scammers sometimes ask for a fee for lost power due to bad weather. They may be collecting funds for charities but do not have a registered charity number. It's impossible to identify and contact them afterwards, and if you paid in advance, you might not get your money back.

How To Protect Yourself Against Doorstep Scams?

• Don't let any stranger into your home. Keep doors locked with the chain on.

• Utility company never asks you to pay for repairing lost connection - power or phone systems damaged due to severe weather conditions. 

• Real police or bank officials will never visit your house and ask for PINs, bankcards, bank accounts or personal details.

• Ask and take a photograph of anyone who claims to be from an authorised organisation. If the person is legitimate, they won't mind.

• Check IDs, licenses and documents before allowing anyone to enter your premises. 

• Do not provide any bank details or other personal information to strangers. 

If you do decide to hire the person for any repair works- 

• Ask for written contracts to know 

• How to reach them, 

• What work will they do, 

• How much money you may have to pay, 

• The statement of liability or worker's compensation insurance, 

• And the statement related to the right to cancel the contract.

If you are considering buying the products, the door-to-door tradesman sells –

• Ask for permits, 

• Identification details, 

• Warranty 

• Contact details to know how to reach them. 

Are You a Victim of Doorstep Scams?

• Write down all the incident details and report it to Action Fraud. File a complaint to the local police department. 

• Please report it to Action Fraud. If Fraud has been committed, raise any concerns; contact the Office of the Public Guardian.