As the warm weather approaches our region, we wanted to take the time to warn the citizens of Anne Arundel County of potential contracting scams that can lead to you becoming the victim of a burglary or theft. In the past, we have experienced several cases in which contractors show up to houses unannounced offering their “services”. These suspects have posed as driveway paving contractors, as well as employees from organizations such as BGE, the Water Company or even vehicle detailers. In some instances, they have shown identification or worn clothing that appears to make them look authentic. They generally approach elderly residents. The suspects are very deceiving and will come across as very courteous and polite, in an attempt to earn your trust.
Please be aware of any contractor that comes to your house uninvited offering their services. If a person claiming to be a contractor comes to your house unexpectedly, do not invite them inside or allow them to lure you outside of your residence. Please try and keep all the doors to your house locked at all times. You have the right to ask for their identification and should verify with the company they are claiming to be representing, before allowing them into your residence. If something does not feel right, please ask them to leave your property. In prior cases, residents have let the suspect inside or have gone outside with the suspect, while another suspect enters through another door to the residence.
If you are approached at your residence by anyone you feel may be suspicious, or notice any suspicious vehicles in your community, please call the Anne Arundel County Police right away. If you are considering hiring a company or contractor to do work, please do your appropriate research prior to hiring them. You can visit websites such as homeadvisor.com and “Angies List” in order to verify if they are legitimate companies, or to access prior customer reviews.
