Doorstep Safety

Most people who come to your home (including strangers) will be visiting you for a good reason

Remember that nobody has the right to make you feel frightened and you should never be made to feel uneasy by a stranger at your door.

Many doorstep crimes are opportunistic, which means that a crime is able to be committed if the opportunity presents itself. You can take some simple steps to remove that opportunity and protect your home.

• Keep you doors locked.
• If you can, look to see who is calling at your door.
• If you have one, use the chain on your door before you open it.
• Always ask to see identification. Somebody with an official reason for coming to your home will have identification (like a badge) with them and will not mind showing it to you.
• If you’re unsure that the person at your door is who they say they are, telephone their company to check. You should be able to find the number in the Phone Book.
• Your home is exactly that. If you don’t feel comfortable inviting someone into your property, don’t.

Common types of doorstep crime are Bogus Callers and Distraction Burglaries.

Bogus Callers

A Bogus Caller is somebody who calls at a home and then tries to trick someone or bully them into giving them something. Bogus Callers can sometimes seem nice at first but can often be aggressive and intimidating.

Bogus Callers will usually target people that they think are vulnerable in some way, or a person living on their own.

An example of a Bogus Caller could be a builder calling at someone’s home. The builder tells the person who answers the door that they have a problem with their roof that needs fixing quickly, and they offer to do it. These types of building works are often not needed, finished to a poor standard and cost a lot of money.

If any type of builder comes to your home suggesting that work needs doing to your property, tell them that you need to get several quotes first before making a decision.

Visit the Direct Gov- your rights pages for information and advice about finding reputable builders and decorators.

Visit Torbay Council's Scam Wise pages for information and advice about how to deal with doorstep traders and bogus callers. On the website you can also download a ‘No Doorstep Traders’ poster to display at your home.

Distraction Burglaries

Unlike a Bogus Caller who will try to make a person part with something (like money), distraction burglary involves causing a distraction, so that items (for example money, jewellery, electronic equipment etc) can be taken without the victim’s knowledge.

People who commit distraction burglaries may act alone (i.e. gain entry to a home then cause a distraction so that they are left on their own to take something) or may act with a team (i.e. gain entry to a home then cause a distraction so that other people can enter to commit the burglary).

To find out more about distraction burglaries and how you can protect your home, visit the Crime Stoppers website.

If you think you have been the victim of a distraction burglary, please report it to the Police by telephone 101 (non-emergency number).

Find out more

If you’re an older person living in Torbay and you would like to know more about protecting your home from bogus callers, you can visit the Age UK bogus callers pages online.

If you are a parent, guardian or teacher and would like to view further information and find materials about doorstep safety specifically for children, you can visit the Knock Knock Who’s There? website.