Scam: beware of fake garbage collectors ringing at your door

The municipality of Paris has recently warned about fake garbage collectors and the scams that follow. We tell you everything!

The winter period is synonymous with calendar sales. As you know, many professionals use this period to go around the houses of the town. And this, in order to distribute their 2023 calendars against a sum of “support” for their profession. Whether firefighters or garbage collectors. The latter knock on the door of many houses and offer a calendar for a certain sum, on a voluntary basis. This exchange is a tradition. Indeed, the exchange of calendars for the support of firefighters or garbage collectors has been going on for years. What better time than just before the New Year to sell a calendar? But, as you can imagine, some criminals take advantage of this tradition to scam. The municipality of Paris recently put residents on alert against fake garbage collectors and their scams. We'll explaine everything here !

Door-to-door ban

You are probably all familiar with the old tradition of firefighters and garbage collectors selling their calendars during the holiday season. The latter knock on the door of many houses and offer a calendar for a certain sum, on a voluntary basis. However, for the inhabitants of Paris, this tradition has no place. Indeed, the municipality of Paris does not accept this approach. Thus, on Thursday, December 22, the municipality wanted to warn and remind the inhabitants of the ban. In Paris, city ​​officials are not allowed to go door to door to sell calendars . They also do not have the right to set up a stand to ask for gifts. For the inhabitants of Paris, it is therefore necessary to pay attention to the various scams.

The municipality of Paris recently launched an alert against scams that may arise during this holiday season. Indeed, on Thursday, December 22, they wanted to remind residents that city officials are not allowed to door-to-door or door-to-door canvassing in the street. ' The end and beginning of the year are often synonymous with sales of calendars and requests for gifts at home. The City of Paris reminds that municipal agents (garbage collectors, sewer workers, etc.) cannot carry out these collections “, they explained. And this, before inviting the inhabitants of Paris “ to be wary of scams and fake garbage collectors ».

Faced with this scam, it is necessary to 'dismiss the agents'

For some years, this rule has been decided by prefectoral opinion. Thus, in Paris, city officials were banned from ask for money to the inhabitants against any gratuity. Indeed, they banned municipal officers “ to ask for any kind of gratuity '. The municipality of Paris would like to add that this ban ' also applies to employees of private companies collecting waste on behalf of the City of Paris ». Or, many criminals are still looking to scam by trying to sell calendars to residents who are unaware of this ban. The city of Paris therefore invites all inhabitants « to turn away the agents, or people usurping this title, who would come to their home to ask for gifts ».

It should be known that falling into this trap can really cause problems . And this, since by selling fake calendars with a fake title, they can manage to enter your home and even rob you. The municipality also wishes to warn that “ it is undoubtedly fake city officials presenting falsified business cards ». Paris agents know that they are prohibited from canvassing . Therefore, if someone knocks on your door, trying to sell you a calendar, it is probably a criminal. So, when in doubt, be careful. The municipality therefore advises you not to open the door ' and ' to call the police if necessary ».

Source : CNews