If you bought your house in the 70s, live in the South East - watch out for doorstep scammers
- We 明らかにする／漏らす hotspots and the six scams spreading 急速な／放蕩な you need to know about?
You might 推定する／予想する a 犯罪の turning up at your home to steal your money to be balaclava-覆う？ and carrying a crowbar.
But in a growing number of 事例／患者s they could be wearing a hi-vis jacket and knock politely on the door rather than break in.
Doorstep scams, where fraudsters turn up at 所有物／資産／財産s with a made-up story to part 居住（者）s from their cash, have been a ruse for centuries.
But fraudsters are using a fresh 刈る of stories to trick their 犠牲者s and play on their 現在の 恐れるs ― and some areas have become particular 的s, Money Mail can 明らかにする／漏らす.
警告: Tricksters in hi-vis jackets are 的ing homes with doorstep scams with 偽の tradesmen now making up a fifth of all 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd 反対／詐欺s
Doorstep scams with 偽の tradesmen now （不足などを）補う a fifth of 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd 反対／詐欺s 報告（する）／憶測d to 消費者 charity 国民s Advice ― the highest 割合 since May 2019.
The South East is the biggest hotbed for them, with more 世帯s 的d than in any other 地域 in England and むちの跡s, new 人物／姿／数字s seen by Money Mail show.
As many as 17 .5 per cent of all 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd doorstep tricksters 報告（する）／憶測d to 国民s Advice from April 2023 to March were from 世帯s in the South East.
Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in particular are 存在 的d, によれば separate data 得るd by Money Mail from 活動／戦闘 詐欺.
The next highest is the North West, where 12.5 per cent of 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd doorstep scam 報告（する）／憶測s were made.?
Just 10.6 per cent were 報告（する）／憶測d in London ― the 同等（の） of 398 （民事の）告訴s, によれば the 国民s Advice data.
居住（者）s in the North East have been 的d the least, accounting for just 3.3 per cent ― or 124 ― of all 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd doorstep scam 報告（する）／憶測s.
犠牲者s are 存在 caught out by a 洪水／多発 of tall tales around home 改良s. For example, Katherine Hart , lead officer at the 借り切る／憲章d 貿易（する）ing 基準s 学校／設ける, 警告するs that growing numbers of scammers are using the 政府’s 逮捕する-無 的 to 偉業／利用する their 犠牲者s.
‘The 逮捕する-無 運動 means that people are aware of the need for energy efficiency,’ she says.
‘So scammers take advantage by （人命などを）奪う，主張するing there are 政府 認めるs that 許す them to retrofit people’s homes at a 削減（する） price.’
Once a 犠牲者 has 手渡すd over their cash, the doorstep scammers then disappear with the money ― or do a poor 職業 before （疑いを）晴らすing off.
Ms Hart 追加するs that there have been a 洪水／多発 of doorstep scams in the past few years where fraudsters 申し込む／申し出d to 絶縁する people’s homes.?
However, the work turned out to be poor and there were stories about bad insulation 影響する／感情ing homeowners’ chances of getting a mortgage.
‘The doorstep scammers who carried out these 詐欺s are now 的ing the same 犠牲者s and （人命などを）奪う，主張するing to be from new companies that can take the bad insulation out,’ she says. ‘We’re seeing a 大規模な rise in this type of scam at the moment.’
Another rising 傾向 is doorstep scammers 的ing houses built in the 1970s, she 追加する s.
‘This is because houses of this age are starting to show their age so scammers can 納得させる 居住（者）s they need work done to them. Many of the 初めの occupiers will still be living in these 所有物／資産／財産s so they are likely to be older. And a good number are in the South East.’
Trevor Hutton, a retired IT 経営者／支配人 and a Neighbourhood Watch 調整者／コーディネーター for his area of Tooting, South London, 警告するs that now is a prime time for 偽の tradesmen to knock on doors as gardens often need a spruce up and rain over the winter may have 損失d or 封鎖するd guttering. The 76-year-old says his street often sees scammers trying their luck.
‘Recently they’ve been wearing hi-vis jackets so they look more 公式の／役人,’ he says.
‘They said we’re きれいにする out the gutters on your 隣人’s 所有物／資産／財産 and we can do yours.’
Trevor 地位，任命するs in his street’s WhatsApp group to 警告する 隣人s. But he says some 居住（者）s have been roped in by the persuasive techniques.
‘They look for problematic homes ーに関して／ーの点でs of overgrown hedges and older 所有物／資産／財産s where the guttering is bending わずかに,’ he says. ‘They are in and out very quick.’
There have been a 洪水／多発 of doorstep scams in the past few years where fraudsters 申し込む／申し出d to 絶縁する people’s homes - but ended up doing shoddy 職業s that needed 高くつく／犠牲の大きい 修理s?
Michelle Pilsworth, 長，率いる of 詐欺 and （民事の）告訴s at Santander, says the scammers typically （人命などを）奪う，主張する something bad will happen if the homeowner doesn’t get the work done すぐに.
She says: ‘It can be a 穴を開ける in your roof or a jet wash or broken guttering or general gardening.
‘If you didn’t know you needed it done, think about why they are telling you that you do.’
The fraudsters will typically ask for 支払い（額） upfront but the money often 増加するs as time goes on or work may be 貧しく done. A 仲買人 may even disappear before the work begins.
Kent 貿易（する）ing 基準s tells of an 年輩の 居住（者） who was 納得させるd to を引き渡す their entire 年金 in 交流 for poor roofing work.
犯罪のs then impersonated 貿易（する）ing 基準s officers and stole another £10,000 under the pretence of a 法廷，裁判所 料金.
The six scams spreading 急速な／放蕩な you need to know about?
Ms Pilsworth 示唆するs hotspots could pop up in places where more people are retired or working from home as doorstep scams rely on people 存在 in.
貿易（する）ing 基準s Scotland says the 最高の，を越す six scams spreading across the UK this year 含む fraudsters 申し込む／申し出ing a special gardening 取引，協定 利用できる for one day only, or （人命などを）奪う，主張するing they work for a telecoms company and need to check the home’s wi-fi 速度(を上げる）.
Others say they’re from an energy company and 申し込む／申し出 a roof 塗装 to help 減ずる heating 法案s or that they’re a passing 仲買人 who has spotted 緊急の 修理 work is needed on a roof.
Matthew Hepburn, 詐欺 広報担当者 at TSB, says: ‘It’s really important to never let 無作為の, unverified door knockers into your home ― don’t feel 圧力d by their pushy 策略 and 強烈な language.’
John Kamoto, 政策 and 研究 officer at Age UK, says older people are more susceptible to doorstep scams because they tend to stay at home more.
‘Doorstep scams 原因（となる） tremendous 苦しめる to older people. We know that at least 2.8 million people over 50 dread 開始 their door as they 恐れる scams.
‘It 孤立するs them from 存在 able to talk to people.’
Age UK recommends a stop, lock, chain and check 政策 when 直面するd with a stranger on the doorstep. If you’re not 推定する／予想するing anyone, lock any outer doors before answering the 前線 door in 事例／患者 scammers are working together.
Put a door chain on and ask for an 身元 card. You can also call the company the 報知係 （人命などを）奪う，主張するs to be working for to 立証する their 身元 独立して.
John also recommends putting a ‘no 冷淡な 報知係s’ 調印する on the door as the scammers may think twice about knocking.
世帯s can also create a password with their 公共事業（料金）／有用性 provider in 事例／患者 someone needs to make a visit. This means you can check they are 本物の before 開始 the door to a stranger or letting them into your home.
If you believe scammers are outside your home and won’t go away, call the police.
If you think you have been scammed on your doorstep, 報告（する）／憶測 it to 国民s Advice on 0808 223 1133 and 活動／戦闘 詐欺 on 0300 123 2040 .
