Dunedin Residents Warn Others About Door-To-Door Scam
Several Dunedin residents have posted stories to social media of being visited by door-to-door salesmen. Here’s how to not get scammed.
Residents are posting that these salesmen are claiming to work for security companies, though they may not be carrying anything to identify their employer.
The Federal Trade Commission has seen these scams before and has posted information on what to look for to avoid being scammed.
Here are signs of a possible scam:
- The sales agent may make a limited-time offer that you would need to take right away. One example is telling you the equipment is free, but you need to sign up now for the expensive monitoring contract.
- An agent may work his way into your house and then not leave without the sale.
- The agent may try to scare you by talking about burglaries nearby.
- The agent may claim to be with the company whose sign is in your yard or on your house.
Be sure that before any business is done with the sales agent, get all the information about the agent and/or contractor who may do the work. Do not do business with companies not willing to give this information.
This includes:
- Contractor’s name
- Street address (no P.O. Box)
- Telephone number
- Contractor’s license number
- State that issued the license
- Name under which the license is filed
When you get the information, do some research through your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, and state licensing officials.
If you feel you’re facing a scam, contact your county Consumer Services. Here are the links for Pinellas County and Hillsborough County.
[Source: FTC.gov]
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