(Grey County, ON.) – Awareness and recognition is the best protection against frauds. Once again an area resident has reported an incident involving suspicious males going door to door in our area.
A Grey County OPP investigation has indicated that there is a high likelihood that these same individuals have been active in our area and in several other police jurisdictions over a prolonged period of time.
The latest incident reported to Grey County OPP occurred on November 18, 2010. Two males in a red late model Dodge pickup truck attended a home east of Wiarton in Georgian Bluffs Township. After confirming that the male resident lived alone, one of the men represented himself as a government employee tasked to inspect the attic insulation in the home while the other offered a cell phone indicating that the person on the other end could verify that they were legitimate. When the resident refused them entry they became verbally irate and suggested a large monetary fine would follow for refusing them access to complete the inspection.
The two suspects were clean cut and appeared to be 25-35 years of age. They were also described as follows:
One was about 5’10†tall with a solid build and full face. He had dark hair, a pointed nose and slightly slanted eyes. At one point he was seen smoking. The other male was slightly taller, over 6 feet and had a thin build. He had short dark hair, well trimmed sideburns and appeared to have a tanned complexion.
The modus operandi could change from one attempt to another, however the usual target is senior citizens and the frauds typically involve scams associated to home improvement such as driveway paving, roofs, driveway sealing and interior home repairs.
Home owners need to be cautious with persons who attend their homes without invitation and offer services. This is not the way commercial businesses or government officials conduct themselves. Obtain any vehicle information you can and ask the individuals for identification, but don’t allow access to your home until you have confirmed that they are legitimate and trustworthy. In any case, that will take time, so allowing access on the initial visit should be out of the question.