Home Security Scams To Watch Out For
Many home security scams happen to people who are slacking off in the safety area. While a lot of burglaries do happen while you are out of your home that does not always stop a burglar from taking advantage of you while you are still home. Using your Wilmington, DE home alarm system while you are still home is an important measure you should not forget. Below are a few examples of security scams people have sadly fallen victim to in the past decade.
According to The Shreveport Times, a home invasion happened in March 2006 to a Charlie Henry. He was approached by some strangers asking him about where another neighbor lived. A few days later a woman was at the door and asked for a glass of water. As soon as he opened the door to let her in, three men came in the house after her and invaded the home.
The scam of using an innocent person is one that is hard to avoid. If she really were suffering from dehydration it would be hard to turn her down. Or if a baby is crying on your doorstep, it is only human for you to want to open the door to help. In these situations, it is best to remember the age-old rule – don’t let strangers in to your home. It is also good to keep your Wilmington, DE home alarm on, so all you would have to do was hit a panic button or trigger and your security company would be alerted of the invasion.
The Oprah Winfrey Show did a segment about home security scams. They were trying to show how people trust people of power automatically and scam artists can easily take advantage of this. For their segment they had a male staff member wear a hidden camera while he posed as a police detective.
The staff member had a badge that was written on a white sheet of paper with the words “police detective” typed on it. He then knocked on 100 different homes and showed them his fake badge. After showing them the badge he asked them if he could be left inside.
Shockingly, every single door invited the Oprah staff member to come inside. A lot of scams take advantage of people in “character”. This can be the UPS delivery guy, police officer, or even school reporter.
There are plenty more scams that people use to take advantage of people. One scam that was popular for a while was to have the burglars call out the homeowners name when they knocked on the door. Calling out your name surprises people and can get them to make mistakes with home security. Assuming they know the person on the other side, they just unlock the door and then are greeted with a shotgun to their face.
These stories we share are meant to help you, not scare you. People are trying hard to take advantage of you. Keep your Wilmington, DE home alarm on at all times. Don’t open your door to strangers. Never assume that a person on your door is automatically who they say they are. These types of things can save your life and keep you safe.
At Silverline Security, we specialize in helping people with home security in Wilmington DE. Through our unique alarm system in Wilmington DE, we’ll help protect your home.
September 2, 2010 | Posted by Frank Fox
Categories:
Tags:
Recent Comments