City of Norcross takes quick action against door-to-door scams during coronavirus lock down

NORCROSS, Ga. - When the doorbell rang and Carla Scruggs looked at her doorbell phone app, she saw a man with a backward ID badge, showing no name and no picture. Just a surprising request.

"Essentially they said they wanted to sell door to door security systems with ADT and wanted to talk to us and come inside and look at our system," says Tim Scruggs.

Carla and her husband Tim, like many of us, are working from home. They had no interest and didn’t think much about it after that. The next day, however, three more people came to their front door selling security in these insecure times.

"In these times it is very unsettling when anyone comes to your door that you don't know," said Scruggs.

They immediately posted what happened on Nextdoor, a neighborhood sharing hub, that has become a must-visit site for everyone sheltered at home, trying to connect to a community they have been told to vacate.

Others on Nextdoor Norcross wrote they too had someone approaching their home claiming to be a salesman. That was enough for the Scruggs. 

"My wife was able to get on line, and notify the Norcross police department, let them know what was going on. And they let us know other people were having the same issues and acted on it quickly," said Tim Scruggs.

Norcross Police Chief Bill Grogan reacted immediately.

"Let's make the assumption it is bogus. Our officers are out and about in every neighborhood," said Chief Grogan.

Grogan jumped on the complaints and the city immediately banned any further door to door permits during the co-vid crisis. The ban along with the street by street patroling worked.

"At this time, there should be, in our city of Norcross, no more door-to-door sales interactions," said Cheif Grogan

 Now, he worries about internet scams. Especially with those US Government stimulus checks about to be sent out across the nation.

Grogan says you have to examine any email solicitation closely and be skeptical. 

"The simple truth is, if it looks too good to be true, I guarantee it is," said Grogan.

Chief Grogan recommends you check out the FTC or Federal Trade Commission web site for advice on coronavirus scams. Like hang up on robocalls and if anyone is promising government money right now - that's a scam. It's too early.

The FTC scam web site is: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts