Find Your Perfect System
December 29, 2011
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Burglar Poses as ADT Employee to Case Home
Hard on the heels of my recent post about a probable burglar posing as a Brink’s Home Security employee, here’s another news report that demonstrates the vulnerability of homeowners to people knocking on their doors. In Warner Robins, Georgia, the suspicious character pretended to be from ADT, another well-known name in home security, and by the questions he asked, his intentions were clear: find out if the home was in fact protected by an alarm system.
Joan Falldine now thinks twice before opening the front door of her Warner Robins home. Just before Thanksgiving, a man posing as an ADT security employee approached her home, looking for information. "He basically wanted to know the status of my system and that was something else that baffled me, because if he really had been from ADT he would've known the status of my system... because he could have looked it up anytime," said Falldine.
What Happened Next
Joan asked the con man to leave her property, but after the encounter her house was broken into twice while she was out of town. "Police responded again, and when they got here the door was closed, although it was not locked anymore. So I don't know how they got in, it's a big mystery to us," said Falldine.
The Latest Burglar’s Trick
The first red flag of many for Joan is when the ADT imposter approached her front door he was holding an ADT yard sign, but didn't show any form of identification. "When ADT comes to our home they always offer identification so that you know who it is that you're dealing with," said Falldine. After the break-ins, Joan called ADT and they said the company did not send anyone to her home.
I’ll admit that until recently I have not seen burglars posing as alarm company representatives - and now it's happening a lot. It’s possible that the hordes of door knockers selling alarm systems have helped create this opportunity for the bad guys.
Police Weigh In
"A reputable company is not going to send someone to your door on what's referred to as a cold call: they're going to call and make an appointment first," said Captain Robert Clark of the Houston County Sheriff's Office. Luckily for Joan an interior door was locked and prevented the thief from stealing anything. Either way, the scam reminds her it's better to be safe than sorry. "I'm way more diligent of arming my system every time I leave my house now," said Falldine.
The good news is that Joan has an alarm system to begin with: the better news is that she’s going to arm it every time she leaves home.
FrontPoint has never sold door-to-door – and we are the most transparent (and most highly regarded) alarm company you can find. On-line shoppers quickly learn why we’re the nationwide leader in interactive, wireless home security: our long list of five-star reviews spells out very clearly what makes us the #1 ranked alarm company in the US. Being on top means we have to prove ourselves in every aspect of our business – with systems that are safer, smarter, simpler, more affordable, and virtually impossible to defeat. And best of all, you never have to wonder if that shady person at your door is from FrontPoint – he’s not. Don’t let him in, and call the police immediately.
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