Police warn of spate of pushy cold callers in Harrogate

Police in Harrogate have urged people to be wary of cold callers turning up on doorsteps offering garden maintenance work.

In a statement today, North Yorkshire Police said it was aware of individuals and groups targeting elderly residents in the area.

It added some could be “pushy and threatening” or “charge inflated prices or pretend to find more and more jobs that need doing on a property”.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:

“We’re aware of Harrogate households in different areas of the town being approached for landscaping and gardening work. We’re working proactively to address this.

“As part of this work, we want residents to be aware of the risks and to know what to do if someone turns up at their door offering services like gardening work, building maintenance or selling goods.

“We’d advise people to be wary – legitimate gardening and maintenance businesses usually work through recommendations and don’t need to knock on doors to get business.”

Unsolicited calling, or cold calling, is when people are approached by someone offering a service despite not requesting it.

Although cold calling is not an offence, North Yorkshire Police said it frequently investigated frauds, thefts and burglaries that happened as a result of doorstep calls.

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The spokesman added:

“Always give yourself plenty of time to make decisions about who you employ and ask friends, family and neighbours for recommendations.

“And don’t feel bad about saying ‘no’. Normal businesses understand that people want to shop around and won’t try to pressure you into a decision on the spot. If they do, that’s a massive red flag.

“Sadly, elderly people are particularly at risk. So if you have older parents, relatives or friends, please share this message with them and check they know how to stay safe if cold callers knock on their door.”

Police urge anyone suspicious about cold callers to dial 101.

Harrogate police warn of increase in doorstep fraud

Harrogate police have warned of an increase in fraudulent door to door sellers.

The force said it had received several reports of incidents this week. Some involved offers to clean driveways and gutters for payment in advance by people who did not then carry out the work. Others claimed to be part of an ex-offenders rehabilitation scheme.

The police urged people to check whether doorstep sellers held a pedlar’s certificate, which can be inspected to prove identity and nature of business.

key in door lock

The police are warning residents of a rise in incidents of fraudulent door to door sellers.

Andy Fox, financial abuse safeguarding officer, said:

“Don’t open the door without verifying their identity and don’t be afraid to ask them to leave or shut the door if you don’t want to engage. Call the police if you’re at all concerned. Be wary of anyone using high pressure sales techniques too.

“We often see a rise in these type of doorstep sellers at different times but there has definitely been an increase in reports of them across North Yorkshire recently.”

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The police have also suggested installing a door chair or peephole so residents can safely see outside without having to open their door.

To report suspicious doorstop sellers to the police call 101 or Trading Standards.

Warning over rise in doorstep scams after lockdown

A warning has been issued over cold callers targeting households as lockdown restrictions ease.

North Yorkshire Trading Standards and North Yorkshire Police have united to remind residents to be wary of people offering property repairs and gardening work.

It is the latest in a series of warnings issued over scams being carried out during the Covid-19 lockdown. Previously, Trading Standards have warned about scams involving supplies of PPE and hand sanitiser, and false testing and cures for the virus.

However, the authority said reports of crime had been “starkly absent” as people’s movements were restricted from March onwards. Cllr Andrew Lee, executive member for trading standards, said:

“We know these offenders are always on the lookout opportunities to defraud the elderly and vulnerable, but their ability to do so has been curtailed in recent weeks due to the lockdown provisions.

“We are very concerned that they will soon be back out and about cold calling vulnerable residents and trying to persuade them to have roofing, driveway, pressure washing, gardening and other work undertaken.

“Our message is very clear. Residents should not deal with doorstep callers.”

Police and trading standards officers said doorstep scams often include extreme overcharging for work, claiming work is required when it is not, poor quality work or damage to properties, and not providing any contact details for the person carrying out the work. In some cases, elderly and vulnerable residents are driven to the bank by the offender, to withdraw cash to pay for the work.

Police have warned residents to be wary of doorstep scams

Officers have advised residents considering having work done to get three quotations from local traders – ideally recommended by friends or family – and to take their time before making a decision. Anyone having work done has a statutory right to cancel the contract within 14 days.

Where that is not possible, they should approach traders for quotations through a trusted website, such as the County Council’s North Yorkshire Buy Local.

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DI Jon Hodgeon of North Yorkshire Police said:

“We’ve seen a number of scammers taking advantage of coronavirus and lockdown to target individuals but there are ways everyone can protect themselves.

We advise never to open the door to anyone you don’t know and certainly never invite a stranger into your home without verifying their identity first. An individual claiming to be a representative of an organisation should be more than happy to show you their ID card and even for you to ring their company to double check.

“High-pressure techniques or requests for money should raise immediate alarm bells. Remember, you do not have to open the door to cold callers and you have every right to ask them to leave.”

Doorstep traders can be reported to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133, or to the Police on 101, or 999 in emergency situations.