There’s a New Scam Around That’s Knocking on Michigan Doors

These days, you have to be on the lookout for scams just about everywhere.

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Via email, phone call, Facebook, snail mail... You name it. If there's a way to reach you, there's probably a scam invented to get to you.

Door-to-Door Scammers Going Through Lansing

Now there's another one to be on the lookout for, and it's making its way through Lansing. And this one is coming straight to your front door.

Door-to-door scams are nothing new. At least a few times a year I get some kind of "energy company" representative trying to get us to switch over to their fake provider.

But now, we've got another one to look out for, and it has to do with doorbells.

Video Doorbell Scam in Lansing

I was a recent stop along this scammers route and here's what went down.

A fast-talking young man came up to my door wearing a polo, khakis, and a very official-looking tablet saying that he worked with Vivint and they were giving away free digital video-monitoring doorbells. All we had to do was pay for the service... yeah, sure buddy.

Read Related: Is Michigan Gullible? Ranking States With Most Online Scams 2022

Basically, these scammers come around getting you to sign up for something and pay for a service you'll never receive. Plus, if you pay for a service, there's a chance they could be phishing to get your debit or credit card information.

And remember when I said he was fast-talking? Watch out for that too...

He asked questions in such quick succession that by the time I realized I had answers, it struck me what kind of questions he was asking...

"What's your dog's name?"

"Is there anyone else in the house you need to make the decision with?"

And things like that. These are the types of questions you probably don't want to answer because the first one can be a security question to log into secure accounts. And that second one just lets them know about who/how many people are in the house, and perhaps if they are there right now (are you alone in the house right now?).

How to Deal with Scammers Who Knock on Your Door?

What's the best way to avoid door-knocking scams?

That's simple—just don't answer the door.

Things like video doorbells and surveillance systems can allow you to see who's coming to the door before you even open it. And at the very least, a "no solicitation" sign near the front door might do you some good.

Also, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has a "scam tracker" on their website. You can search for scams by area, type, and more. Check it out here.