Uptick in door-to-door sale scams on Calgary seniors leads to police warning – Calgary | 24CA News
Police are warning Calgarians of a rise in studies of furnace inspection scams focusing on seniors.
From Aug. 10, to Aug. 20, Calgary police say they’ve obtained 10 studies of an unknown man claiming to work for the town of Calgary and making an attempt to acquire permission to enter the properties of seniors to examine their furnaces and demanding fee.
No fee was given in any of the reported incidents.
Police say fraudulent furnace salespeople go door-to-door telling residents they’re constructing inspectors and that they should be allowed inside to examine the house’s furnace or else the residents may face fines.
Once inside, the salespeople declare to seek out issues with the furnace and/or scorching water tank and aggressively attempt to promote the house owner new ones.
Police and the town are providing the next tricks to Calgarians when approached by an unknown furnace inspector:
- Always ask to see identification to substantiate that persons are who they are saying. Legitimate door-to-door salespeople are required to have seen identification in Calgary.
- City of Calgary constructing inspectors typically solely go to properties by appointment, or in emergencies. They all the time have metropolis of Calgary photograph identification and drive marked metropolis of Calgary autos.
- Before permitting a contractor into your house, guarantee you’re coping with an authorized contracting firm that’s correctly licensed and insured.
- If you encounter a door-to-door salesperson or business with no business licence, report it to 311.
- If you’re instructed your furnace doesn’t meet security codes and should be changed, you possibly can usually test this data with the town to ensure it’s true.
More data on how seniors can defend themselves is offered on the Calgary police service web site.
Anyone with details about these incidents is requested to name the police non-emergency quantity at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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