Tips for Dealing with Door to Door Scams

Tips for Dealing with Door to Door Scams

For most people, the safest and most relaxing place to be is within the walls of their own home. There, they are isolated from the rest of the world in safety. They can rest easy and recharge before having to venture outside once again. When someone intrudes on the space it can be a bit upsetting. This is especially true if the intruder is up to no good. In today’s modern world, a lot of scammers have taken to the internet to trick and con people. Most people are aware of this fact. However, some scammers out there prefer to stick to more old fashioned methods. Door to door scams do still occur and it is important for people to be aware of this fact. Since there are so many different scams out there, it is important for a person to learn to spot the warning signs of something being a scam. This way, no matter what type of scam they might be dealing with, they will be able to recognize the con for what it is and avoid it.

Preferred Targets for Scams

When it comes to door to door scams, there is one age group that falls victim to it more than all the others. People over the age of 60 are more likely to be targeted by, and fall victim to, these types of scams. This is due to the fact that Baby Boomers were raised to be more trusting of people and polite towards everyone. They are also the main age group that is home during the day. These are traits that scammers love to exploit in order to get their foot in the door. When a scammer comes to the door, someone in this age group is more likely to answer the door to an unexpected guest. Meanwhile, people in later generations are more likely to ignore the knock at the door if they weren’t expecting anyone. Similarly, Baby Boomers are less likely to close the door on someone once they begin talking to them. Other generations have no problems closing the door in someone’s face.

Common Scams and Warning Signs

There are primarily two types of door to door scams that a person needs to be wary of:

• Someone ‘selling’ a product or service.
• Someone distracting the person so an accomplice can break into the house.