Top 10 Tips: Identifying a Door-to-Door Sales Scam

You might think that if a con artist came to your door trying to perpetrate a door-to-door sales scam, you'd have no problem identifying the shady salesperson. However, this isn't always the case. Use these tips to recognize con artists before they defraud you out of your hard-earned money.

1. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: First Impression
The Con Artist Might Not Look like a Salesperson

When you think of a con artist, chances are you have a very specific picture in your mind. You expect that you'd be able to tell right away whether or not a stranger is trustworthy. But chances are good that a con artist at your door won't fit that picture.

2. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: Mentioning Money
The Con Artist Might Not Mention Selling Anything (At First)

You'll be surprised to know that a con artist might not even mention money or products for sale at the beginning of your conversation. Instead, he or she might make vague comments about "contests," "points," or "opportunities." It's deceitful, but it's also a great way for the salesperson to get through your door.

3. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: Charitable Appeals
The Con Artist Might Appeal to Your Altruistic Human Nature

One of the most underhanded techniques used during a door-to-door sales scam is an appeal to your charitable side. The con artist might say that he or she is working for a national charity, or trying to earn money for college. Many people who wouldn't ever consider buying from a door-to-door salesperson are swayed by wanting to help someone out.

4. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: Fast Talk
The Con Artist Doesn't Want You to Stop and Think

When con artists come to your door, you might notice that they talk fast, and that you have trouble thinking up replies because they won't stop bombarding you with information. Fast talk is very often an indicator of a scam in progress.

5. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: Gaining Entry
The Con Artist Will Want to Get in Your House

Con artists know that once they get in your house, it's difficult for you to make them leave. They'll do anything in their power to get through your door.

6. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: Engaging Behavior
The Con Artist Will Try to Connect on a Personal Level

A con artist can learn a lot about you using simple clues discovered by paying attention to your appearance and your surroundings. He or she will try to use this information to form a bond with you. Unfortunately, we tend to be drawn to people who talk about or likes and just seem to "get" us.

7. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: Expecting "Yes"
The Con Artist Will Not Accept "No" for an Answer

Before he or she reaches your door, a con artist will have decided not to take "no" for an answer. The con artist will use techniques such as starting to fill out an order form before you've actually agreed to buy anything.

8. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: Unusual Conduct
The Con Artist Will Likely Do or Say Something Strange

When a con artist does or says something that doesn't seem quite right to you, it is often the first real hint you have that you might be involved in a door-to-door sales scam.

9. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: Getting You Involved
The Con Artist Might Try to Get You to Participate in the Scam

One of the easiest ways to pick out a scam is if the door-to-door salesperson tries to get you involved. He or she might suggest that you yourself should start selling their products.

10. Identifying Door-to-Door Sales Scams: Innocent Salespeople
The Con Artist Might Not Be Aware of the Scam

It's sad, but the companies that perpetrate door-to-door sales scams often defraud their employees as well as their customers.

Visit How to Identify a Door-to-Door Sales Scam for more information.

Want to read about a personal experience with a door-to-door sales scam? Check out Warning: Don't Open the Door to Magazine Sellers for Unlimited Sales, Inc.

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