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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what the scam is here

30 replies

PumpkinSoup21 · 09/11/2022 18:35

I’m home alone this eve with two little ones. DH is away.

Doorbell just rang and I thought it was a courier but when I opened the door it was a young bloke in a shirt and tie with a puffer jacket and a clipboard. He said not to worry (weird way to begin I think) but had I noticed the work they are doing on our street to upgrade the broadband? There has been work in our street and City Fibre vans so that all seemed plausible.

He asked who our broadband provider was and then said he needed to check we were getting the new faster speed and asked me to just grab my phone for him. I was already a bit wary but at that point alarm bells went off. I didn’t really know what to do so I said it wasn’t a good time and could he come back later.

Am I being weird? Is this a scam? What’s the scam? Has anyone heard of this?

If he does come back I won’t open the door but should I tell the police and/or check on the neighbours. We have some quite elderly and vulnerable neighbours here who we know. Not sure how to check on them when I’m on my own with the kids though.

Thank you!

OP posts:
ParentallyUnprepared · 09/11/2022 18:36

He's trying he to sell you something.

Original poster
PumpkinSoup21 · 09/11/2022 18:38

Why would he need my phone to sell me broadband or whatever?

OP posts:
MollieMarie · 09/11/2022 18:39

We're having work done on our street atm for faster broadband, no one has knocked on our door and asked to check our phones. Sounds dodgy.

StillWeRise · 09/11/2022 18:39

contact your local council trading standards people, they deal with scams

GoAgainstNicki · 09/11/2022 18:39

What exactly are you going to tell the police? That someone tried to sell you broadband?

It’s not a scam and sounds like something Community Fibre have been doing in my area to get people to join their broadband instead of the bigger names

Oysterbabe · 09/11/2022 18:41

He's just trying to get you to switch provider or something. Can you ask your neighbours if they spoke to him?

luxxlisbon · 09/11/2022 18:41

I agree community fibre had a weird way of going around the door in our area too, I couldn’t tell if it was selling something or a scam. It was so strange.
I actually ended up changing to them months later when my contract was up.

TwoRockSalmonAndAHaporthOfChips · 09/11/2022 18:42

Perhaps he wanted to load up malware to your phone. Seems most plausible.

Kilicat · 09/11/2022 18:43

Perhaps it was to check the speed of internet you were getting.

lovelypidgeon · 09/11/2022 18:43

My guess would be that he's going to try to persuade you to change your broadband provider/package and wants to use your phone to (possibly falsely) demonstrate that the speed you're getting is not as fast as they can offer. Sounds like the 'updating in your area' is a ruse to get you to think they're checking on work that's being done so you don't realise it's a door to door sale until you've already given them information and possibly agreed that your internet speed is bad. Could be from the company doing work locally or they might just have spotted it as an opportunity.

Original poster
PumpkinSoup21 · 09/11/2022 18:50

GoAgainstNicki · 09/11/2022 18:39

What exactly are you going to tell the police? That someone tried to sell you broadband?

It’s not a scam and sounds like something Community Fibre have been doing in my area to get people to join their broadband instead of the bigger names

I’m just asking a question. I wasn’t going to dial 999 and call for a swat team! Just wondered if it was a known scam and if so I could file a report with 101. The trading standards suggestion is helpful.

OP posts:
Original poster
PumpkinSoup21 · 09/11/2022 18:52

If it is legit this is a stupid way to do things. Obviously people are going to be wary of someone random at the door.

OP posts:
IncessantNameChanger · 09/11/2022 18:55

I work I IT and its not how you check how fast someone's broadband is. You can do it at source

DashboardConfessional · 09/11/2022 18:56

It'll be a wince and a tongue click, and then saying whatever he's selling is faster/cheaper/both.

jc12689 · 09/11/2022 18:57

Possible scam. Gather info from you? Broadband provider, phone provider. Follow up with a call claiming to be from the provider asking for info. Makes it sound more legitimate if they have some background info.

Rule of thumb is don't buy anything or engage with anyone going door to door trying to sell something or randomly asking for information from you

AnnieCannyFrangipani · 09/11/2022 18:59

We had similar incidents in my neighborhood a few weeks ago. Two women were asked for their phones like you were and one man was told the person on the doorstep needed into the house to check the internet connection. All these requests were rebuffed so we're none the wiser about what was going on

Boxofsockss · 09/11/2022 19:05

Tbf I wouldn’t trust him. Not with the stuff people pull these days. I wouldn’t have answered the door though.

RoseOud · 09/11/2022 19:06

That happened to me, except it was two men, one of which was over-the-top friendly,talking about broadband stuff.
Straight off the bat, I said we were very happy with our provider and wanted to leave it there.

That wasn't good enough for them. He asked me for my phone. I must admit that firstly, I thought I can't be bothered to go and get it because I'm not interested and then secondly, I thought what the hell for?

That evening, there was messages on the 'next door' neighbourhood app, that these men attempted to run off with someone's phone.

boatahoy · 09/11/2022 19:06

It does sound like it could be dodgy. I would notify the police on the non emergency number. We had similar with someone going round the doors and I contacted the non emergency line after giving it consideration. Police were very interested and wished that I had called them sooner.

TheWurst · 09/11/2022 19:13

Bloody City Fibre! They’ve spent the last two years digging up every road in my town. We then had an overly friendly man knock on the door same as you. When I said I wasn’t interested he tried telling me how cute my toddler was and tried talking to the toddler. I shut the door then. It will have been a sales person probably for Talk Talk to use City Fibre. They were really pushy here, looking through people’s windows when they weren’t answering. Need to sell a lot of broadband to make up for all the cable laying I’d imagine.

SirGawain · 09/11/2022 19:16

Its som kind of scam I suspect. City Fibre have been installing cable in our city. They don’t sign you up themselves, they lease the lines to established providers. Their publicly has been very low key, just a letter every few weeks suggesting we contact one of their providers. No one has ever knocked at the door. Of course you won’t have faster speeds unless you’ve already signed up. I can’t imagine any legitimate reason for needing access to your phone.

hesbeingabitofadick · 09/11/2022 19:18

Sounds like a scam.
I would have told him to jog on or something a little more fruity and shut the door...assuming I bothered to answer in the first place.
You could report it to 101, but not sure they'll be that interested...I mean it's Wednesday evening, it could be fairly quiet at the mo... Grin

Lurkerlot · 09/11/2022 19:22

Same reported on the local FB pages where I live, similar if not the same patter, but claimed they were from BT. A couple of women reported they seemed to be scanning over her shoulder into her house. Complete mystery.

PeekAtYou · 09/11/2022 19:24

Contact City Fibre but I suspect scam too. When they were upgrading our area they didn't knock on doors.

Original poster
PumpkinSoup21 · 09/11/2022 19:27

I’ll speak to the neighbours tomorrow. Can’t do it tonight as I can’t leave the kids.

OP posts: