Burglars Do Knock on Doors to See If You are at Home

Hard on the heels of my recent posts about burglars posing as utility workers, new neighbors, and just folks who are lost, here’s another new report that demonstrates the vulnerability of homeowners to people knocking on their door. In this story, from Scottsdale, Arizona, the suspicious characters pretend to be door-to-door salespeople. As it turns out, what these intruders are really looking for is an empty home to rob – preferably without a monitored alarm system. And the bad news is, most homes don’t have monitored alarm systems.

Neighbors in Scottsdale are planning on boosting their security after more than a dozen homes and cars were broken into in the past two weeks. Scottsdale police said burglars are looking for easy targets near Hayden and Thomas roads. Thieves posing as salesmen are knocking on neighborhood doors and peeking in windows. If the coast is clear, the bad guys force their way in and steal items.

Burglars are Getting Away with It

Unfortunately for homeowners, the thieves’ strategy is working. Eleven homes and four cars have been burglarized since the start of this month. Police are warning neighbors by giving out "burglary prevention" information. Officers are warning them to be on the lookout for suspicious people in their community who look like they don’t belong.

Make it Clear you are at Home

ABC15 spoke with neighbors of the victims who said this threat has them changing how they handle strangers at their door. "I have to let people know, whoever comes to the door, I have to let them know that I am home; even though I want to ignore them," neighbor Zinnie Poncini said. "I can't believe that it's come to this point," Poncini’s daughter Renee Anderson said. "It is disturbing." A few residents said they are now going to add home security systems for protection against this increase in crime.

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 when in doubt, call the police immediately.