Rogue traders

The scam: a trader will come to your home and offer to do some work for you at a special rate – this might be new paving or a new driveway. Another common tactic is to claim that you have a hole in your roof or your damage to your guttering – usually something that you can’t easily check yourself. They’ll say that it’s very urgent and put pressure on you to get the work done immediately.

The reality: it’s highly likely that they’ve made up the problem. They might pretend to fix it or do a shoddy job. They’ll then charge you an extortionate amount for the ‘work’.

Which offers the following advice:

Protect yourself from doorstep scams

• Be on your guard: always be suspicious of anyone turning up at the door uninvited – regardless of their story.
• Put up a sign: place a sign in the window near your front door saying that uninvited callers are not welcome.
• Keep your home secure: don’t let any stranger into your home. Keep your doors locked with the chain on.
• Look for ID: ask to see callers’ ID cards and call the company to see if they are genuine. To be safe, look up the company number yourself rather than trust the number on their ID card. If you feel uncomfortable or have any doubts, don’t let them in. It’s your home. Tell them you’re not interested or that now is ‘not convenient’ and ask them to come back at a different time (when you can have a friend or relative with you).
• Set up a utilities password: you can set up a password with your gas and electricity providers so that you can be sure callers (such as meter readers) are genuine – only genuine callers will be aware of your password. Call your utility company to arrange this. To activate the service they might need to put you on their Priority Services Register.
• Nominate a neighbour: if you have a relative or friend who lives close by, ask if they’d mind being on standby in case you get any suspicious callers. Before letting a stranger into your house, give your neighbour a call and ask them to pop round. If you don’t know anyone nearby, contact your local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme or Safer Neighbourhood Team to find out if they can help.
• Consider smart security devices: smart doorbells incorporate a camera and can enable you to speak to a caller without opening the door; some can also send a message to a relative notifying them that you have a visitor.
• Take a photo: if you’re suspicious, ask the caller if you can take their photo on your mobile phone. Then send it to a close friend or relative. If the caller is genuine, they probably won’t mind.
• Call the police: if a caller is really persistent and refuses to leave, you can call 999. If you are suspicious, but not in immediate danger, call 101, the police non-emergency number.