Calendar scam: 5 tips to avoid being tricked

It’s firefighter calendar season! As every year, this traditional approach is accompanied by scammers who take advantage of the situation.

Thus, the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service of Maine-et-Loire has announced the start of its calendar sales campaign, while warning the inhabitants, as reported by Ouest France. It should also be remembered that only garbage collectors and firefighters sell calendars. Neither the national police nor the gendarmerie take part in this ritual.

On the same pattern as that of fake EDF agents, calendar scammers find a pretext to break into your home. The more the target is vulnerable, easily intimidated or influenced, the easier the task is for the scammers.

Here, they pretend the sale of calendars to ring your doorbell and start a discussion. Once the potential victim is somewhat disoriented and confident, the criminals find a bogus excuse to break into their home. Once inside, they discreetly steal valuables.

Be especially vigilant if they show up as a pair, as one of them will likely be responsible for distracting you while the other does the stealing. It may also be that, as is the case with many door-to-door scams, the criminals are simply scouting locations for future burglary.

Planet has grouped below the 5 rules to follow to avoid being scammed, according to the government site.