Nolensville Police Warn of New Type of Scam Being Reported in Middle Tennessee Neighborhoods

The Nolensville Police Department (NPD) warned residents of a scam being reported throughout Middle Tennessee neighborhoods.

In a Facebook post Sunday, the Nolensville Police reported that the recently reported scam involved an “unidentified individual knocking on the door of a potential victim.”

“The person had an IPad in his hand claiming his lost/stolen iPhone was pinging inside the victims house. He then asks to come inside and to get the victim’s wi-fi password. NOT!!!!! Don’t fall for it! Fortunately the intended victim did not comply and had a ball bat handy,” NPD added.

“Please let any vulnerable family or friends know not to open the door to anyone unknown,” NPD concluded.

According to the office of the Tennessee Attorney General, common door-to-door scams include:

• Contractor Repair Scam
• Repair / Burglary Scam
• Home Inspection Scam
• Security Company Scam
• Security Company Sales Scam
• Disaster Relief Scam

Many door-to-door scammers will use various tactics to lure victims into their scheme. Some warning signs of door-to-door scams include:

• Demanding Upfront Payment (Under Tennessee law, it is illegal for contractors to ask customers to pay more than 1/3 of the total project cost upfront.)
• Cash Only Deals
• Too Good To Be True Deal
• No Permit of Company Identification
• Scare Tactics
• Verbal Estimates or Agreements

To avoid common door-to-door scammers, the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office advises victims to avoid letting strangers into their homes and verify door-to-door salesmen by requesting written materials and their contact information.

Scammers often target older adults because they may “live alone, have more assets, or be at home during the day,” the attorney general’s office noted.

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti urged Tennesseans that have been a victim of a scam to contact their local police department and report the incident. Victims are also encouraged to file a complaint with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs by calling (615) 741-4737 or (800) 342-8385, or online at https://www.tn.gov/commerce/consumer/file-a-complaint.html.

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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Person Knocking on Door” by Pavel Danilyuk.