Heard on this morning's news broadcast, and probably something to warn your elderly relatives about (especially if they are fuzzy-GI)

There are teams of crooks going around leafletting homes with alarmist stories about exploding microwave ovens, etc., and promises of consultancy to help make your home "millennium-safe". Once inside the door they variously:

1. Rob or pilfer from the occupant

2. Spin yarns about how the television, hi-fi, washing machine etc. become fire or explosive hazards come the millennium, and hard-sell inferior replacements at inflated prices that as a special deal they'll reduce if you agree now. What you get is of course the machines they've liberated from the last householder they conned!

3. remove a few lids and charge a consultancy fee for telling you that you're lucky and don't have a problem with your stuff.

-- Nigel Arnot (nra@maxwell.ph.kcl.ac.uk), January 15, 1999

Answers

Very sad, Y2K provides an incredible opportunity for such low-lifes.

Probably the simplest and best advice is to deal only with well established, well-known business within your community.

This is not a totally fail safe approach but it's one #$%& of a lot better than trusting the 'door to door' types. (ALL door to door sales people at my house get a VERY RUDE reception at my house - regardless of what they are selling - widgits, religeon, politics, etc)

Maybe those of us who are aware can help. If you should be approached by such an individual, don't bite and don't argue BUT DO get a good description and their license plate number. Then notify the authorities immediately. I think a fair number of these scumbags can be stopped just by simple awareness and vigilance.

Get the word out to your community and church groups.

This is one thing we can do something about.

-- Arnie Rimmer (arnie_rimmer@usa.net), January 15, 1999.

Greetings Nigel, Yes, I am sorry to hear about those lowlifes that con the elderly both here and in the UK. And I agree with Arnie to alert local authorities to persons like that. Back home in Illinois we had a neat little town,years ago I put a sign on our home that,said, Solisitors Beware Immediate Castrations Avalible Inside this Home, never did have much problems with too many people knocking on the door after that. Good Luck to ya...

-- Furie (furieart@dnet.net), January 16, 1999.