| July is national scams awareness month: an initiative led by the UK European Consumer Centre, Citizens Advice, and Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI).
With this is mind Hampshire Constabulary would like to help protect the vulnerable in our communities from doorstep crime by bringing this to your attention.
Hampshire Constabulary supports this initiative with our ongoing commitment to Operation Liberal, the national intelligence unit for organised travelling criminality. The operation, which works with police forces and partner agencies from across the United Kingdom, has had a national remit since 2005.
This initiative is designed to tackle doorstep crime, which includes rogue trading, bogus callers and distraction burglaries.
Previous research suggests July and August are peak months for doorstep crime. Doorstep criminals call at your home unannounced, often claiming to be from a utility company (water board etc), or claiming to be working in the area and to have noticed a problem with your house that needs fixing.
They may offer to do work for you or say they need to check something in your home so will ask to come in and to look around. They may search your home for items to steal, or may pressure you into paying them cash for work you haven’t requested or agreed to. Sometimes doorstep criminals pose as police officers or even say they are looking for a lost child or pet and need to look around your house. These criminals are convincing and seem plausible and they target people in their own homes. Hampshire Constabulary works closely with Trading Standards to tackle these offenders, and there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself from this kind of crime.
BE AWARE! DOORSTEP CRIMINALS ARE TARGETING RESIDENTS IN YOUR AREA
Call Hampshire Constabulary on 101 In an emergency always call 999 For more information visit www.hampshire.police.uk Please take note of this advice to ensure you stay safe: • Don’t open the door to someone you don’t recognise or are not expecting. • If you do feel you need to answer your door, remember to: • Lock the back door before you open the front door – doorstep criminals often work in pairs with one person distracting you at the front door while an accomplice enters your home through the back door. • Put the door chain or door bar on before opening the door – see who it is before you fully open your door. • Ask to see the caller’s identification – a genuine caller will not mind showing you their I.D. • Close and lock your door and call the number of the company they claim to be from to check if they have sent someone to your home. Remember to use a number from a bill or the telephone book so you know it’s a genuine one. Remember, even if the caller is genuine you do not need to allow them into your home. Ask them to arrange a future appointment; that way you can arrange for a friend or family member to be present. You can arrange to have passwords set up with your utility companies. When a representative calls they will repeat this confidential word to you. If a suspicious caller knocks at your door, call 999 if they are on your property or if they have just left. Call 101 if it is after the event. | 
