Home Security Scams, Utility Scams, and Other Home Scams How to Stop Fraud

Fraud at Your Front Door

When trouble knocks use these tips to protect yourself

Getty Images YOUR CASTLE, THEIR TARGET. As your most valuable possession—and likely, biggest financial investment—your home is an attractive bull’s-eye for fraudsters. Why? They know you’ll take extra care (and spend extra dollars) to protect and maintain its value. And if you’re a retiree at home, con men see you as easy prey because you have more time to heed pitches that arrive in the mail or at your front door.

Guard Your Life

Here are a few ways to secure your residence. 1. Buy a locking mailbox. And to stop unwanted mail that could attract identity thieves, call 888-5-OPT-OUT (888-567-8688).

2. Don’t let strangers into your home, especially when they arrive in pairs. They could be burglars; one distracts you while the other steals.

3. Use a cross-cut or confetti shredder on unneeded paperwork that bears your name, birth date and Social Security number.

4. Practice neighborhood safety. Keep tabs on neighbors’ homes and ask that they do the same for you. The schemes are varied. Here are some of the most popular home scams that have been showing up around the country—and what you can do to protect yourself.

Power Plays

Have you been told that your utility service will be cut off because of unpaid bills? Expect that news, if legitimate, to arrive by mail—not via phone or through in-person demands for payment with prepaid debit gift cards. Have self-described technicians arrived unannounced for an emergency inspection? They could be burglars with fake IDs and rented uniforms. The latest utility scam: Impostor cable company reps offer a service discount if you pay months in advance with gift cards.

Burglar Blockage br

A home security system may thwart some crooks but attract others. Posing as technicians for security companies, . Then they deactivate it for a later burglary. Others tout free equipment to lock you into more expensive service. Reputable companies don’t operate that way. Also, if you have a GPS device in your car, don’t label your address as “home.” That steers parking lot thieves straight to your residence while you’re away.

Contract Con

who tells you he’s working in the neighborhood and just happened to notice a home repair that you need. Some seek upfront payment or large deposits to “go buy materials” before vanishing. Others pester you to do additional unneeded jobs. Most do shoddy work. A favorite trick is “resealing” your driveway by spreading used motor oil on it. Your town’s building and permitting department can tell you whom to avoid.

Fraud at Your Front Door br

Whether it’s overpriced magazine subscriptions, home products on a “limited time” offer or a heartfelt plea for a charity, think trouble. Your best defense: Never provide a credit card, check or personal information to a front-door stranger. If you do and have buyer’s remorse, the Federal Trade Commission’s Cooling-Off Rule gives you three days to cancel for a full refund on sales of $25 or more.

How to Stop Fraud

Next: Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.