No matter what your age, be careful when opening your door to strangers.
As two recent cautionary examples from within Yavapai County show, neighborhood scams are no laughing matter.
According to Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Media Coordinator Dwight D’Evelyn, on July 22 several door-to-door sales persons contacted residents throughout the Prescott Country Club in Dewey, offering products including satellite televisions and alarm systems.
“A large senior population lives in this community,” D’Evelyn explained. “In one instance, a resident allowed a salesman to use their bathroom and while inside the bathroom, the resident heard cabinet doors open and close. After the salesman left, it appeared medications might have been stolen. The residents told deputies they felt very nervous and intimidated during their interaction with this man.”
According to D’Evelyn, these type of door-to-door sales people “work for companies that are authorized third-party dealers for satellite and alarm providers.” Typically, they come into a neighborhood as a group, targeting seniors and using “high pressure methods to get contracts signed, leaving victims confused and in some cases out hundreds of dollars in upfront costs.”
After buyer’s remorse sets in, D’Evelyn added, attempts to cancel contracts may result in large termination fees.
Crimes taking place under the pretense of a real estate transaction are another common neighborhood scam. During the last week of June, YCSO deputies were dispatched to a home in Black Canyon City, regarding a cash theft.
“The homeowner, who was selling her trailer, had three people referred to her by a local real estate company,” D’Evelyn stated. “The three, including two women and a man, arrived in a black full-size truck. The homeowner indicated all were of Middle Eastern descent. While the woman talked with the homeowner in her living room, the man explored the interior of the trailer.
“After the threesome left, the homeowner/victim noticed her purse lying unzipped in a closet with $550 missing.”
D’Evelyn added, the female suspect used a “typical distraction ruse” by keeping the victim occupied in order for an accomplice to search for valuables undetected.
Currently, deputies are continuing to investigate this case to establish more detailed suspect and vehicle descriptions.
For D’Evelyn, the link between both crimes is clear. By providing access to their homes, the victims provided the opportunity to engage in criminal activity.
