I was talking about door to door scammers today and immediately received a call from an Albemarle Police Officer explaining to me that these scams are happening right now in our area. He said that there are a couple to be aware of right now.

One is a door to door scam where people ask you for cash donations for military care packages.

Another scam is from people posing as handymen saying that they are in the neighborhood and will give you a discount on services but they need a down payment. 

The officer informed me that if someone comes to your door offering services, the Albemarle County Ordinance 12-400 requires that they have a solicitors permit. If they do not, they are NOT legit. Of course there are a few exceptions so check out the ordinance and the county’s website to get the information that you need.  You can also sign up there to be a part of an email tree where they will keep you informed of incidents like this happening in our area.

Overall, a good rule of thumb is to always be leery of people approaching your home uninvited and asking you for money up front for anything! If you think you’ve been scammed or there might be a risk in your area, call your local police department and tell them about it. That’s the best way to get rid of the problem.

This just in…regarding the Anthem data breech. Over the weekend a friend of mine said that she received a call from a company representing Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield asking for her information over the telephone. Anthem has said that they are NOT contacting people via phone regarding the security breech. They will be be notifying their customers via mail.