An issue identified by the Edmonton Police Service recently inspired me to write about a problem that many people have heard about and some of us have experienced. It is people coming to your door and posing as a representative of well-known and credible companies such as power & gas, phone or alarm companies. This is a scam that criminals have been doing for years. The best way to stop it from happening is to practice good crime prevention strategies and reporting it to police when it does happen.
The first thing to remember is that you don’t have to open the door. However, if you do want to speak with the person at the door – use safety precautions.
- Use a peephole, a side window, chain lock or stand behind your locked screen door.
- If you only have a single exterior door, open the door partially and ask the person to take a step back.
- Ask who they are and what they want.
- Always ask to see identification. If they do not have identification it’s not likely that they represent that “well-known” company. If they have ID, you can contact the company to verify. If they are legitimate, they won’t mind waiting for you.
- NEVER let your children answer the door to a stranger.
- NEVER let someone in your home unless you called for that service.
The reasons for this type of activity is often to gain entry to your home. Once they have gained entry into your home all types of crimes are then possible. But even if nothing happens at that time, these criminals may be casing your home for a future robbery. These type of criminals will try many ways to pray-upon your fear that something is wrong in your home and that it needs THEIR attention.
Recently in Edmonton, two men were in a neighbourhood saying they were from Epcor or the City of Edmonton. They claimed that there was a law requiring them to check on the furnace. That was a ploy to gain entry to the home. And when many residents did not allow them in, they became aggressive. The City of Edmonton or utility companies would not come to your door in this manner – and they certainly would not be aggressive or use scare tactics to enter your home.
If someone comes to your door and gets aggressive, they won’t take “NO” for an answer or they are suspicious, the Edmonton Police Service has asked that you try and get as much information as possible (description, time of day, vehicle if used, etc.) and immediately call the non-emergency line at 780-423-4567.
Be aware because this can happen in any neighbourhood in the city.
Until next time…
Debbie Sellers, ENW
Edmonton Neighbourhood Watch On Social Media