Casper Police: Beware Door-to-Door Sales Fraud
As the temperatures rise, so do the number of people engaging in door-to-door sales.
Some of those salespeople may not have your best interests in mind, based on recent reports of suspicious behavior received by the Casper Police Department, according to a news release.
The Casper Municipal Code offers protections to community members within city limits:
- All door-to-door salespersons must have a license issued by the City of Casper. This does not apply to charitable organizations, which must have a letter of exemption from the city manager.
- Salespersons are prohibited from entering any residential property that has a prohibition sign in English, of legible size, designed for and intended to serve notice.
- Salespersons must leave and discontinue solicitation after the occupants or tenants say they not interested in the product, or ask them to leave.
Police detective and fraud expert Shannon Daley offers these tips to protect yourself from potential door-to-door sales fraud:
- If you are interested in the product or service, ask to see their business license issued by the city. If they do not have a license or can't produce one, don't provide any financial or personal information or money.
- Contact the company the salesperson is representing by a phone number for it on the internet, and not the one they give you directly. Ask the company if it has salespeople in the Casper area. If the company can't verify the information or refuses to, don't have anything to do with the salesperson.
- Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine if there have been any complaints or to assist in verifying the legitimacy of a company.
- Be cautious about the information you provide about you, your home, or your family specifically. For example, if the salesperson claims to be selling security systems they might ask, "Do you live alone?" or “Do you have a security system?" Criminals could benefit from this information.
- Don't invite strangers into your home to allow them to demonstrate what they are selling. If you are interested, ask for information and a phone number. Then research the company and product and call if you choose to buy.
- If the service that is said to be provided sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Roofs cannot be replaced for $300, and driveways cannot be repaved for $200. People offering these services often do a poor job. They leave with your money and leave your property in need of more repair.
If you aren't interested, tell the salesperson to leave. If they refuse to leave, or return later, contact the Casper Police Department at (307) 235-8278.