To be suspicious of this

[catgirl1976geesealaying]

A young man just knocked at my door

He said he was on a government funded hawker scheme and had just got out of jail and was trying to turn his life around. If the scheme went well he would build skills to try and get a job (or something)

He gave me some ID and asked to show me his goods to try and sell

The soft part of me felt very sorry for him, but I told him I had just put my baby to bed (true) and had no cash on me (virtually true, I've maybe a couple of quid on me). He did say he could take a cheque but I said I had no chequebook (I do but I'm not rifling through drawers to find it). I said if he was in this road another night I would probably have some cash and would take a look, but not tonight. Off he went.

I did feel sorry for him, but DH said "Who was that?" and when I explained said "Bullshit. Make sure the doors are locked, he's probably casing the houses".

Now he has made me a bit uneasy and suspicious. I googled "Government Hawker Scheme" but nothing came up.

Should I be concerned? Or at worst is he just lying about the government bit and just trying to make a bit of cash?

I'm suspicious too. Never heard of this scheme or anything like it.

similar

Its a scam

Someone came to my door once saying the same. I politely declined and never saw/ heard anything more of it. Double -lock your doors as normal precaution but try not to worry too much. I don't think door to door cold callers for any reason should be allowed. It can make people feel very vulnerable.

Im sure i've heard things like this before, but as a scam not a scheme, no such thing as a hawker scheme.

Sounds line a scam to me. Really easy to make fake ID these days.

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/mar/23/door-to-door-salesman-dowling amusing

I can't stop feeling sorry for him (although that may change if he does come back and ransack the house) :)

DH thinks I have gulibility issues

Oh dear Afritutu! I really hope he doesn't do that

there is a scheme similar, they sell dusters, tea towels and similar. I don't know what its called but have never known late calls, normally daylight office hours that I personally have ever seen. I couldn't tell you what they are called though.

No harm in just double checking doors and windows before bed though if you feel uneasy

That sounds very simialr giraffes

I have a bit of a soft spot of the guys who do this since, many years ago, one knocked on my door and said: "Before you shut the door in my face, you've left your keys in the lock." If he'd been casing houses he would have just taken them.

I always try and buy a tea towel or something but I seldom have enough cash to afford their inflated prices.

they used to come round all the time. 'no thanks' usually works.

I've had similar at the door. As I have never heard of such a scheme I'm cautious and your DH is right to be like this.

I have had young ex offenders come round in the evening selling dusters/tea towels. They never called after about 8pm though.

Ahhh swampster....that's nice to hear

We get them pretty regularly. I always assumed they're genuine.

They've been round for years, but I doubt its anŷthing to do with the government , that's their way of softening you up.

I have one of those horribly unfriendly "I do not purchase goods at the door and if you do not leave immediately, you are breaking the law"