Three Most Common Types of Home Security Scams
Scammers have managed to find niches for themselves with charities and rental properties. Many people are aware of their deceptive tactics in these areas. However, many more don’t know about the ways they’ve managed to infiltrate the home security business. Here are the top three ways that home owners are conned out of their money through home security scams.
Fake Company Representatives
Scammers know that people won’t trust a company that’s unfamiliar. Therefore, they fraudulently represent a security company with an established reputation.
An individual will go door-to-door and claim to be doing security updates for customers in the neighborhood. Once inside of the home, scammers an opportunity to admire- and take- valuables. This is an opportunity that scammers are more than happy to seize.
In other cases, a fake representative will solicit a security system to new customers. He or she may even go through the trouble of drawing up a fake contract. Once homeowners have forked over their deposits, these scammers will disappear forever. Without installing the new home security systems.
Offering a “Free” Home System
In some cases, scammers are actual employees and contractors of home security companies. However, they use the art of deception to squeeze money out of customers.
A home security representative will approach a home and offer a free system. However, the cost of the new system is far from free. Overly trusting customers don’t take the time to read the contract, and don’t notice the additional fees that are written in the fine print. Unfortunately, customers won’t realize this until after the three-day cancellation period has ended.
Claiming to Take Over for Existing Provider
Some company representatives are bold enough to flat out lie to gain new customers. They intentionally target homes with existing home security systems and trick them into utilizing their company’s services.
A representative will approach a potential customer, and claim that his or her existing service provider has gone out of business. The representative offers to take over and replace the existing security system. Unfortunately, unsuspecting people will be on the hook for anything they’ve agreed to in their new contracts.
