Is The Salesman At Your Door Legitimate, Or A Fraud?

LOWNDES COUNTY. Miss. (WCBI)- It’s a familiar sight and sound in many Lowndes County neighborhoods.

The knock on the door and a salesman trying to pitch their product or service.

“Normally we hear of vacuum cleaners, we hear of cleaning products, things that people can use around the house,” said Lt. Tony Cooper an investigator with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.

Cooper admits, sometimes that knock on a door from a stranger can be a little nerve wracking for homeowners.

“Days aren’t like they used to be,” he expressed. “It used to be neighbors would come over and knock on each others doors, and now to have a complete stranger coming to knock on your door, especially if there’s a group working a neighborhood and you just have somebody walk up and knock on your door, it might be a little unnerving.”

However, sometimes that approach and pitch is used as a cover up for a criminal trying to get a feel for a home or a neighborhood.

If a homeowner gets that unexpected knock at the door, by law, the salesman is required to have a license and company photo ID.

Cooper said asking for proof of this information is one quick way to know if the person is really who they say they are or someone who’s up to no good.

“If you feel something is not right do not let them in your house, just tell them you’re not interested and tell them they need to leave the property, at that point if they don’t leave the property they’re trespassing and then we can get involved there,” said Cooper.

The investigator said this type of activity tends to comes in waves, and recommends neighbors look out for one another whenever they see this type of activity in the area.

“These people are being more visible on social media such as the Facebook Watch Page, people are getting out there and letting other people know that the door to door salesmen are in the area,” said Cooper.

So far the sheriffs department has not came across any cases where they’ve arrested someone for posing as a door salesman.

However, if you’re a homeowner and get a suspicious or uneasy feeling about a salesman at your door, contact 911.