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More scams to tell you
about.
HBNW has heard of many
possible scams this past
week. We had three
residents e-mail
us regarding the possible
Verizon scam. Each
resident had talked to the
alleged representatives from
Verizon.
In the past few days we have
heard of a person selling
"scrip" and did get a $95.00
check from a resident. This
resident was unsure and
checked on the company via
the Internet. They did
cancel the check and called
their Block Captain.
Another is this e-mail:
"Yesterday two men in orange
jump suits came to my door
asking if I had a sewer
manhole in my backyard. They
wanted to look. My son
answered the door and told
them that I didn't and they
could not look in my yard.
My son said that they didn't
introduce themselves and
there was no city truck
outside. They left on foot".
And yet another:
"I just called in a report
related to the Verizon scam
and a HBPD officer told me that there
is another current scam that
is playing our big time in
surrounding neighborhoods.
He called it "the UPS" scam.
Apparently UPS uniforms are
easy to come by, so
criminals are donning the
uniform and ringing
doorbells. The scam is that
they say they have a COD
(while waiving a UPS package
or envelope) for one of the
victim's neighbors and would
the vic be willing to pay
the COD so the fake UPS
deliveryman can leave the
package for the neighbor.
Evidently unwitting victims
have turned over up to $22
to these fake delivery guys,
who actually do leave fake
packages at the neighbors
homes in plain sight of the
vic. When the neighbor comes
home and the victim tries to
collect the COD that they
surrendered to the crook,
they find out they were
scammed".
Why do we make such a big
deal out of solicitors?
HBNW encourages that you
call because it is a
possible "set-up" for a
CRIME OF OPPORTUNITY. If the
solicitor is legitimate,
they will obtain a PERMIT
from the City Manager's
Office (signed by Steve
Burrell) and it will have
the HB logo on it. It will
NOT BE a letter from
the City of Los Angeles or
any other city with their
logo on it, ever.
Why should I call?
1. It is not legal without
the PERMIT FROM HB.
2. You could be a victim of
a scam to take your
possessions that are near
your front door. The
solicitor could knock to see
if you are home or not.
Your check could be used in
Identity Theft as your
routing number and checking
account number at the bottom
of the check could be used
fraudulently and/or you
could pay for an item that
you will never receive.
3. You could be 'set up' for
a later crime to burglarize
your home when you are not
home or worse, the solicitor
could force themselves in to
your home!
What should I do?
Ask them to see the HB
Permit. When they give you
the many reasons why they do
not have it, just politely
tell them that you are a
member of HB Neighborhood
Watch and that you are aware
that they must have it.
Ask them to come back when
they do have it and you
would be happy to support a
legitimate cause.
Take note of their clothing
and physical description and
which direction you saw them
traveling in last. Call the
HB police dispatch number at
310-524-2750 and ask for an
officer to approach the
solicitor.
Why do I need to do all of
this?
Peace of mind
that you or one of your
neighbors will not become a
victim. Send the strong
message to solicitors that
it is NOT OK to take your
hard earned money preying on
you and our residents
illegally!
What will happen to the
solicitor?
If the police officer should
locate the solicitor, they
will approach and ask for
identification and a permit.
They will advise of the city
permit requirement. The
officer could cite the
person or at the very least
write up a FIELD
IDENTIFICATION CARD. This
would be looked at if a
crime should happen in the
area as this person would be
their first suspect.
Background on the solicitor
and the people that the
solicitor is working for
that day:
They often recruit these
young adults and take them
from their home town (often
from another state) and
promise them a better way of
life if they sell for them.
The recruiter puts them up
in cheap room and board and
gives them little money. In
most cases, this is better
than the life they had.
The majority of the
solicitors do not carry an
ID. They hope that the
officer will just warn them
as they are told that the
officer will not want to
take the time to take them
to the station for a
fingerprint check. If an
officer gives them a
citation for soliciting
without a City of Hermosa
Beach Permit, then it is
given to the individual and
makes no dent toward the
"business" that their
employers are involved in.
So basically, you are never
causing any justice to the
"higher up" in the scam.
They are protected as they
distance themselves from the
solicitor.
They are often brought in by
a van and left in your
neighborhoods for several
hours to get as many
subscriptions or candy sales
as possible. They will
often use your first name
(that which you have told
them in their quick
introduction) and go to the
door of your neighbor and
say that "John, next door
told me that you would buy
from me like he did". This
is done to gain the
neighbors confidence that
they are "friendly" and "you
can depend on them" because
your friendly neighbor
bought from me just a minute
ago. Identity Theft is a
big business and you just
provided them the
opportunity to abuse your
checking account number and
bank routing number on the
personal check that you have
willingly handed them to pay
for that high-priced
magazine subscription.
They will often say that
they are "trying to make an
honest living", "trying to
earn a trip for their
education" or "just a
student trying to earn money
for camp/band/you name it,
they will say it".
AGAIN, TO DRIVE THE POINT
HOME:
Ask them right away for a
City of Hermosa Beach
Permit. When asked, nearly
every one of them will tell
you that their manager has a
copy of the permits for all
of the cities that they work
in. We suggest you calmly
advise them that you are a
member of the HBNW program
and that you know that they
must carry a permit from HB
on their person. Let them
know that when they provide
this paperwork to you will
be more than happy to see
their product. Until then,
you cannot purchase their
product as they are
illegally soliciting in
Hermosa Beach (Legitimate
vendors will go to City Hall
and apply for a City Permit
to solicit sales from door
to door. People who want to
cause you harm will not as
they are criminals). The
solicitor will reluctantly
leave as the wind has been
taken from their sales
pitch. They will most
likely leave with an
attitude. Please close your
door and call the HBPD
dispatch number 310-524-2750
and report it. Tell the
operator what they look like
and their direction of
travel.
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