How To Protect Yourself From Door To Door Scams

Lately, we are hearing stories of door to door scams happening in the Capital Region.

Most recently, I have heard of a couple.  In Schenectady, a man posed as a contractor offering to do concrete work for a homeowner. The homeowner paid the man and no work was ever done. The con artist got away with hundreds of dollars. In Albany,  a man is asking for donations to the Albany Fire Department and he isn’t a firefighter. He is using fire prevention materials as his “proof. “

I have had many people approach my house offering to complete services from taking down trees to driveway repair.   It’s scary when someone you don’t know approaches your home. You don’t know what to do or you feel intimidated asking for credentials.

Andrea was home alone once when she got a knock at the door. Now, everything was legit, but when she told me she let someone in to test the water, I wanted to scream at her! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!
With all this going on, I decided to send along some tips I learned to help arm us homeowners the next time a stranger comes knocking at the door.

DO NOT open the door – Try to look out the window first and see if you know the person. Don’t open your door to a stranger. Ask who they are or why they are at your house. Request credentials or that all material be left on your porch. Or ignore it all together.
Always Have the door locked – If your door is locked, the stranger more than likely can’t come in on his own. If you have a door chain, you can crack open the door to speak through the gap.
Have an intercom/camera system installed – this will allow for communication without having to open the door.
Have a dog – The home owners protection of a dog can make your house less appealing to approach. Thanks, Sammy! (That’s my dog)

 
I hate that we live in a world where we can’t trust people. We can’t hear a knock at the door without getting nervous, but we do. Hopefully these tips can help you should you be approached at your home. Be careful out there.