Alarm System Scams

24th August 2023

The Scam
Cold callers have been contacting people and saying they work for an alarm company and are working in partnership with Police Scotland.

They ask to make an appointment to visit the property. One woman who received this call felt pressured into agreeing to arrange an appointment.

A salesperson visited her house the next day and told her that Police Scotland were funding the alarm systems for free due to a recent spate of thefts in the local area.

He said that, although the police were funding the systems, there would be a fee for his company to maintain and service them. He offered a ten year maintenance contract, saying that the cost would be just over £5,000 if she purchased and had it installed that day.

The woman felt unsure and contacted her daughter to ask for a second opinion - her daughter advised her not to purchase the system.

Police Scotland are not funding these alarm systems.

How To Avoid
Never provide personal information or agree to make any payments to a cold caller.
If you are unsure if a call is legitimate, hang up and do some research into the company the caller said they represented.

If a caller says they are working with the police or the local council, hang up, clear the line and call the police on 101 or the council using a publicly listed number to verify.

If you have agreed to a home visit by a salesperson following a cold call, you may want to ask someone you trust to be there with you. Make it clear from the outset that you will not be making a decision on that day and that you will be taking time to think about any purchases.

Find out More
General advice on avoiding phone scams (PDF):

www.tsscot.co.uk/Phone-Scam-Information.pdf

Police Scotland: www.scotland.police.uk/doorstep-crime-and-bogus-callers