Police have urged people in Stone to warn vulnerable residents not to engage with cold callers after a conman tricked an elderly resident out of £30.
A man – thought to be in his twenties – knocked on the door of an elderly resident in Stone on Thursday morning (10th December).
He claimed that he’d cut his hand on a branch that had fallen from a tree in the resident’s garden on to the pavement and that, for £30, he could clear the branches away so it didn’t happen to anyone else.
Unfortunately, the elderly resident paid the £30 but when asked for a receipt, he left the address.
The only description police have is that he was aged between 20 and 30 and was wearing a donkey jacket.
Police have urged people in Stone to warn their neighbours of this incident, especially the elderly and vulnerable, and to remind them not to engage with cold callers.
Any suspicious callers should be reported to the police immediately.
[box type=”info” ]Official bogus caller advice from Staffordshire Police
Never trust anyone calling at the door without a prior appointment. Should you receive such a call leave the door locked. The caller will hear you through the door when you ask them who they are. If they state they are from a utilities company ask for your account number, they should have this, if not, do not let them in and tell them to leave, and that you are calling the Police
Always ask for ID, and check it
Do not allow anyone to carry work out on your home, or sell you anything when they cold call at the door. If you do require work to be done, INSTIGATE IT YOURSELF, by phoning three companies asking for like for like quotes. Then decide.
Do not keep large amounts of cash in your home, you may think that you have the perfect hiding place, but these criminals will find it.
Please remember there is no such company as the Water Board, Gas Board or Electric Board. These words are only used by offenders.
Always report any suspicious behaviour to the police, if you think it is suspicious, it probably is.
Keep your doors locked even when you are home. Residents should also follow the stop, chain and check rule when people call at the door:
STOP – If you are not expecting anybody and they don’t have an appointment – don’t let them in
CHAIN – Use your door chain or bar before opening the door
CHECK – Ask to see ID and double check this.
People can also use the Nominate a Neighbour (NAN) scheme which diverts cold callers to a neighbour who will check caller’s identity. NAN packs are available from local police stations.[/box]
