The Barnet Group’s Barnet Homes reminds all residents to be mindful of bogus door knockers and scam phone calls – burglars and thieves pretending to be from organisations working on behalf of the landlord to gain your trust.
While most callers to your door may be genuine and harmless, bogus callers – also known as distraction callers – will try and trick their way into your home by pretending to work on behalf of the landlord to steal valuables while the owner is distracted.
Barnet Homes works closely with the police and Barnet Council to try and tackle these and other types of crimes across its estates.
Scam phone calls
The need for caution extends to phone calls and emails about repairs from similar scam organisations that claim to be working on behalf of the landlord.
Tenants have reported receiving a phone call asking if they have any outstanding repairs on their property.
All Barnet Homes calls will come from the phone numbers 020 8389 2000 or 020 8080 6587.
Stay scam-safe with these tips
- Think before you open the door. Use your chain and spy hole or look out of the window to see if you recognise them.
- Ask callers for proof of identity. Genuine tradesmen should carry a photo identification card. Check this carefully. If you are unsure, telephone the company the caller claims to represent.
- Barnet Homes and utilities companies now offer a password identification system. Any caller from one of these companies should be able to give a pre-arranged password as additional proof of identity.
- Beware of callers who attempt to distract you by claiming that they have seen something odd in your back garden or somewhere that encourages you to leave your house – they may have an accomplice waiting.
- If you are not convinced of the caller’s identity, DO NOT let them in. Ask the caller to come back later and arrange for a friend, relative, or neighbour to be present or ask the caller to contact this person.
If you have been a victim or need further advice
- If you believe you have handed over any details to someone who is not Barnet Homes, report it to the police immediately at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/.
Alternatively, contact:
- Barnet Homes’ Customer Contact Team on 020 8080 6587
- The Police non-emergency number on 101
- Or visit met.police.uk for your local Neighbourhood Policing Team
- In case of an emergency, please call the Emergency Services on 999.
Register with the MET’s Online Watch Link service
Register with the MET’s Online Watch Link service for updates from your local policing team and Neighbourhood Watch: https://www.owl.co.uk/met/