North Yorkshire Police have issued a warning for cold callers targeting elderly residents in Harrogate.
Police issue warning about door-to-door callers in Harrogate North Yorkshire Police have issued a warning for cold callers targeting elderly residents in Harrogate. Police have received a growing number of cold calling incidents in the area and said they are aware of groups and individuals targeting elderly residents with offers of unsolicited gardening work. Unsolicited calling, or cold calling, is when people are approached by someone offering a service despite not requesting it. Police have said that the cold callers may charge inflated prices or pretend to find more and more jobs that need doing on a property. A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said:
“We’re aware of Harrogate households in different areas of the town being approached for landscaping and gardening work. We’re working proactively to address this. “As part of this work, we want residents to be aware of the risks and to know what to do if someone turns up at their door offering services like gardening work, building maintenance or selling goods. “We’d advise people to be wary - legitimate gardening and maintenance businesses usually work through recommendations and don’t need to knock on doors to get business."He added:
“Always give yourself plenty of time to make decisions about who you employ and ask friends, family and neighbours for recommendations. “And don’t feel bad about saying ‘no’. Normal businesses understand that people want to shop around and won’t try to pressure you into a decision on the spot. If they do, that’s a massive red flag."If someone has cold called at your house and you feel like they are suspicious, report it immediately by calling 101 – officers can and do attend streets based on such calls. If anyone who cold calls tries to enter your home without your permission, is threatening or refuses to leave your property, call 999. The force spokesman said:
“Sadly, elderly people are particularly at risk. So if you have older parents, relatives or friends, please share this message with them and check they know how to stay safe if cold callers knock on their door.”Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.
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