Doorstep Scams
Doorstep scams are a form of door-to-door fraud where individuals, or bogus tradesmen, come to your home to deceive you intogiving them money, either through unfair contracts, substandard or overpriced work, or by pretending to be from a legitimate company.
to contact them if something goes wrong. Doorstep scammers remain a serious
problem across the whole of Scotland. Many doorstep scams are affiliated to
serious organised crime groups and usually overcharge for work that is either
unnecessary and/or substandard. They tend to target vulnerable and elderly
consumers.
How do Doorstep Scammers Work?
Doorstep scammers are adept at gaining the trust of unsuspecting consumers.
Some of the more common techniques they use are:
- Creating a website and glossy leaflets and using a temporary address in the
local area to make their business seem credible and legitimate to unsuspecting
consumers - Using a name similar to a legitimate company which trades in the same area in
order to gain the trust of consumers - Changing their business name to avoid detection, but using the same sales
techniques and being run by the same people
“Many doorstep
scams are affiliated
to serious organised
crime groups and
usually overcharge.”
- Urgent repair work is needed on part of their property
- They can offer the consumer a special deal or reduction which is only available on that day
- They have recently completed similar work at houses in the local area
They go to great lengths to appear legitimate and often target vulnerable people who may not be able to make informed decisions. They offer to start work immediately, without providing proper paperwork or allowing the consumer time to think about what they are agreeing to or seek a second opinion.
What you can do?
- To prevent scammers knocking on your door, you can request a No Cold Calling sticker from your local Trading Standards office or from Trading Standards Scotland. If an uninvited trader
ignores the sticker, they may be committing an offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. - You can also sign up to the Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Alert system to receive timely alerts about local crime prevention and safety issues from partners such as Police Scotland. If there are known rogue traders in your area, you will be alerted. Sign up through the Neighbourhood Watch Scotland website.
- Never feel pressured into making a decision on the spot. Any legitimate trader will be happy to return at a later date – you may want to ask a friend, neighbour or relative to be with you when they call back to give a second opinion.
- Never agree to a trader starting work straight away and never hand over any money without seeing proper paperwork and making sure that you understand the terms and conditions,
including cancellation rights. What you can do Before
Downloadables
Remember
Before agreeing to have any work done by an uninvited trader, follow our 4 Scam Share Signposts:
Report any suspicious behaviour.
Call Police Scotland on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Sign up to the Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Alert system
to receive timely alerts about local crime prevention and safety issues from partners such as Police Scotland.
If you have concerns about a purchase that you have made, contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000.
If you feel uncomfortable or suspicious about a cold caller in your local area, phone Police Scotland on 101.