Doorstep scams

Fraudsters can target you when you’re at home. Be careful of strangers on your doorstep and know what to look out for.

 

How do doorstep scams work?

You might get a knock at your door from a fraudster offering to do work on your home or pretending to be on official business. They might even claim to work for a charity or to be selling door to door.

You never have to let someone you don’t know inside your home.

Common doorstep scams

Fake police officers or bank workers

Fraudsters might knock on your door and say that there’s a problem which means they need to see your bank details, PIN or bank card. They could also be claiming to be a courier looking to collect your card, cash or even jewellery. Your bank or the police would never do this.

To check the identification of real professionals, call the company or police station. You should always use a telephone number from a bill or an official website. Never use a number that they give you. 

Rogue tradespeople

Someone might come to your door to tell you that there’s a structural problem with your home that they know how to fix. But they’ll charge you too much for the work, and there’s a good chance that it doesn’t need doing at all.

Before agreeing to any work, check in with your family and friends. They can also help you find out if the person or company is genuine. You should always get more than one quote, ideally three, before you agree to go ahead.

Fake fundraisers

Some fraudsters will pretend to be collecting money for a charity. If they seem pushy and can’t tell you their Registered Charity Number, they could be a scammer.

More information on registered charities

Door-to-door salespeople

A fraudster might come to your door to sell you something. They’ll try to rush you into buying something by saying there’s limited stock or a deal is about to run out.

They might also want to keep you at the front door while someone else tries to sneak into the back of your home. When you’re not using them, always keep your windows and doors locked.

Meter readers without ID

A fraudster might knock on your door claiming to need to read a gas, electricity or water meter in your home. Once you’ve let them in, they’ll pressure you into giving them money with a made-up reason.

If you’re being pressured to let someone into your home, stay calm and ask them to leave. If they don’t, lock your door and dial 999.

Learn about other scams and how to protect yourself

Scam calls

Want to know how fraudsters can use your details to win your trust?

Avoid scam calls

Scam emails and texts

Find out how fraudsters try to steal your details.

Avoid scam messages

Pension scams

Fraudsters can pretend to be someone you trust to target your pension.

Protect your pension

Investment scams

Fraudsters may pretend to be a genuine company or adviser.

Avoid investment scams

Protect your devices

Do you know how to keep all of  your devices safe?

Learn about device safety

Protect your identity

Fraudsters may try to steal your personal and banking details.

Keep your identity safe

Learn about the latest scams

Fraudsters are always looking for new ways to try to steal your details and money. Discover which scams are common right now.

Go to latest scams

Have you been targeted by fraudsters

Contact us right away if you think you’ve been scammed. We can then guide you on what to do next.

Contact us now

Stay scam safe

Learn how to spot and avoid scams, and how to report fraud.

Protect yourself from fraud

Stay scam safe

Learn how to spot and avoid scams, and how to report fraud.

Protect yourself from fraud