Are fish men a scam

[MightyMucks]

Just had a knock on my door and it was some bloke asking if I wanted to buy any fish. They’re not regular or expected. When I went out there was four men with the van. You’re not gonna sell enough fish to pay four men’s wages surely? AIBU to think it’s a cover for scoping out burglaries.

Oooh bit dodgy whatever. Call 101 jic I reckon.

I’m not sure it’s a scam but I wouldn’t use the ones who come locally.

I live on the west of the country (and within 45 mins of a big dock) yet they pride themselves on selling fish from the east coast so hardly “local” and I would doubt the freshness!

Sounds dodgy. My grandparents used to have a fishmonger in a branded, kitted out for purpose van who'd come round (they lived rurally), but it doesn't take four guys in a transit to sell fish!

Call 101??? Really? yes, fish men are a thing.

We live about as far from the sea you can get in the UK.

Mighty Me too! There is a local fish man though, and his fish is fresh and delicious

Yes they are a thing. I have absolutely no idea who would buy fish from them though

At first I thought you mean love fish, as in pet goldfish or something. Not that this is any less odd.

I've heard that it can be a scam, also know people who have regularl fish vans.
It certainly doesn't warrant a call to 101 FFS.

So you think the salt buggers were scoping out your plaice? They sound like absolute sharks to me. Hope you clammed up and didn’t say anything?

Perhaps they were looking to mussel in on the regular fishmonger? If he finds out their might be a battering in the way.

All in all, very fishy.

According to West Mercia Police

"The scam is generally operated by purchasing packs of fish from a wholesale fish merchant and then travelling around the country selling the fish. They usually use Transit-style vans which are not refrigerated. They arrive in an area and call door to door selling the fish off in as large batches as possible.

They tend to target areas with a high population of elderly residents and use intimidating sales techniques. The salesmen show a consumer a small selection of fish, and when they agree to buy some, they go to the van, returning with large amounts of packs of fish and go into the house and start putting it into the freezer."

www.westmercia.police.uk/article/17070/Scam-Alert

If they were regular I would be less suspicious. But it must have been twice in six years or so they have been.

My mum has a fish van in West Sussex. Sells some unusual bits. But you usually have to buy a 'box'.

buggered

We had this on Sunday afternoon! DH answered the door so went out to the van in the road. He then came back to get me. I said no, I'd planned my meals I wasn't buying. He pushed so I said well will you be regular and do you have a price list. He said no... definitely dodgy. Ended with me walking back to the house and him shouting "Come and look at this salmon" I'm like "I know what a salmon looks like!"

If you google ‘men selling fish’ you’ll find plenty of reports of potential scams OP.

My mum has a fish van in West Sussex.

Does she sell sea shells by the seashore?

Ok.....I’ll get my coat before I derail!!

Call 101 over a fish van?! OTT, much!
Yes fish men are a thing.
Flashback to being out in the pub several years ago when younger and the fish man used to come round!
"Any fish?!" Us - "yay, it's the fish man!" Lol

Apparently they leave markings...

People do sell fish door to door, but in my experience it's one person calling regularly with a van branded with their business logo.

I'd be suspicious of anybody turning up out of the blue selling anything from the back of a van.

You should notify trading standards.

We have a fish man who comes to our village from the East Coast. He does his rounds after supplying local businesses in a properly refrigerated and sign written van. Generally very good and fresh and he'll takes orders for the following week if you're after something particular. Nothing dodgy about him at all - he has a price list, business card and will recommend recipes. Discovered sapphire (thrown in for free) long before it became a 'thing' at Waitrose.

My neighbour has a fish van. Based on that alone, I'd say it's well dodgy!

"Apparently they leave markings.."

do you mean markings to show "this household bought from us" or "for some reason we think this house is a good burglary target"?

We have fish men from the NE. I would be prepared to buy fresh from them in normal quantities, but they only sell in bulk, so it’s pointless.