Don’t fall victim to opportunists – be sure who you are opening the door to

In the current climate with more people spending time at home, we would like to take this opportunity to remind our communities of our advice around people calling at your door.

There may be some individuals seeking to trick their way into your home and although their stories can be very convincing, they are often not genuine.

We would encourage the public to remain vigilant to these types of opportunists by following the below tips and guidance:

• check to see who is at the door by using a door viewer, or looking through a front window
• put the chain on before you open the door as this is a barrier against unwanted callers
• when an unexpected caller claims they work for a utility company, they must be able to quote your password and unique customer number and produce an identity card
• if someone claims to be from the police, they should carry an ID card with their photograph on - check this carefully and keep the chain on. This also applies to genuine tradespeople.
• if you're unsure about the caller's identity, telephone the company the caller claims to represent, but don't rely on them giving you the number as it may be false - genuine callers won't mind waiting
• if you're still unsure, ask the caller to come back later so that you can arrange for a friend or relative to be present
• if you feel uncomfortable or are concerned with the person’s presence, call 101 or 999 if a crime is in action

In a time of communities coming together, we would also ask you to please share this advice with those more elderly and vulnerable individuals who may not have access to the internet or use social media.