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Door to door sellers

From Hammersmith and Fulham"Senior Trading Standards Officer Doug Love said that these groups check for any security features and sell the information on a “mug list” to burglars for cash.He said, “They see what they can about a home, to see if the resident might be gullible enough for another trader, or to have a look to see what type of security is at the front door, like if there is a chain or if the person is security conscious. We know there’s a currency in that sort of thing.”He said the scammers often pretend to be ex-inmates on a probation scheme, despite no such programme existing in the borough.The fake salesman are known to go door to door in the borough with holdalls of poor-quality dusters, dishcloths and sprays and flash fake permits. Doug said catching the criminals was “almost impossible” because victims report the crime weeks after it happened.Hammersmith and Fulham’s trading standards department released a guide to help locals to spot a scam in action. It advises residents to put a “no uninvited traders” poster on their front door, use smart doorbells with built-in cameras, or door chain for unexpected callers.Doug said, “Don’t deal with cold callers. Full stop. At its most innocent, they’re people selling overpriced goods. But at the more sinister end, it’s assessing the potential for far more serious crimes.“If you don’t know who’s knocking, don’t open the door or use a door chain. We need to warn people, especially elderly residents, from being as trusting as they are. The successful scammers are the charming, persuasive ones.”

Iris Hill ● 424d7 Comments