February 20,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, someone commented on Facebook , “Yesterday a young man rang my doorbell and said he worked for a company hired by PSEG and asked me to check my bill to see if I was being charged for “dirty energy.” I told him it wasn’t a good time, so he said I should have my bill handy because they would send someone else next week. Has anyone else had this experience? It sounds really fishy to me, and I can’t find anything about it online. I messaged PSEG.”
Alarm bells go off in out head , the comments continued , “Other neighbors saw him walking through the neighborhood earlier. I should have called the police immediately but I was working and I didn’t think too much about it at the time. I just got this from RPD: “Please call the police for a response if this happens again. 201-652-3900,” so sounds like fraud. Blatant, though- it was Saturday, early in the afternoon.”
PSE&G says , if you think you may have been a victim of a scam, file a report with your local police department, and contact us by calling 1-800-436-7734. Also, you can contact the Federal Trade Commission and file a complaint online.
Sales person perhaps, scammer or just casing your house more likely.
I no longer answer my door nor my telephones unless it’s someone I know, or who I am expecting.
I am not a fan of opening my door to strangers, never have been.
A young man was here asking about something like that. Rang the bell and was walking away just as I was about to open the door to get the mail. It was the middle of the day but I can’t remember which day–could have been Saturday. He had an ID tag but wasn’t close enough for me to read it and it could well have been bogus. I said I wasn’t interested, grabbed my mail, and shut the door. For the past few years I have felt bombarded by calls (which I don’t answer unless I’m not at the one phone that shows the caller’s number) and “visits” from dubious strangers. The phone calls feel like a virus.
The issue of door to door solicitors in Ridgewood came up for discussion to ban the practice in Ridgewood, at past town council meetings well over 10-15 years ago due to residents complaints of solicitors. At the time, the mayor felt a complete ban on registered solicitors would also affect/include the girl scouts/boy scouts/h.s.band from their door to door sales of cookies, plants, etc. and it was decided not to procede with a ban.
As far as the girl/boy scout cookies sellers, there’s been less of them, I only had one this year. Most of their troops set up at the local grocery stores and get bigger sales, and its safer for them. Their parents sell/get orders from co workers. Everyone knows when the RHS band has their plants and fruit sales, can order online, they always deliver to your door anyway.
Times have changed, each year in spring thruout the season, the door knockers ramp up in greater numbers. As long as they obtain a permit from the town, and not all bother to get a permit, there’s been an influx of peddlers from cable companys, pest control, new windows, painters, home improvements, lawn treatments, solar panels, driveway sealers, magazine sellers (they use a team of children), donations, the list goes on. Just love the line of some canvassers – we’re doing some work in the neighborhood and wonder if you’re interested in home improvements. Some use aggressive measures. All one can do is to put a “No Solicitors” sign on the door.Hopefully its about time to enact a complete ban on door to door solicitors in Ridgewood. (With an exception for the girl/boy scouts 🙂 and RHS band sales).
Burglars pose as solicitors. Theth knock on the door. If no answer they either break in themselves or signal their partner to do so.