The Hawkesbury detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has alerted residents about fraud occurring in the area.

According to the OPP, door-to-door sales have been prevalent in Hawkesbury and they remind residents to stay vigilant.

The OPP stated in a press release, "Victims often end up with home services they do not need or want, or poor-quality renovations, or liens or mortgages on their homes. Some victims may not even realize this has happened."

As part of efforts to protect consumers from aggressive and misleading contractors, Ontario banned some types of unwanted door-to-door sales in 2018.

This includes sales of air conditioners, air purifiers, duct cleaning equipment, furnaces, water filters or chips, and water heaters, in addition to bundles of these goods and services, as the OPP wrote.

They added that companies are not allowed to enter homes unless initiated by the consumer prior to the visit.

While the OPP reported that these crimes are ongoing, the Hawkesbury detachment noted that criminals are persuasive, persistent, and aggressive in attempting to secure a signed contract.

In some cases, they visit the homes of vulnerable residents and often claim to be affiliated with the Ontario government.

Last June, Ontario enacted new legislation under the Homeowners Protection Act and the Personal Property Security Act to mitigate this type of fraud.

The Ontario Provincial Police encourage residents to follow the advice below to protect themselves and their families:

Only answer your door if you are expecting a guest
Do not allow unwanted visitors into your home, be aware of the ban on unwanted door-to-door sales
Hang up on unwanted phone calls
Never share personal information or copies of any bills or financial statements
Do not make decisions on the spot, seek further investigation
Do not sign blank documents or contracts
Take the time to understand what you are signing and ask questions
Do not answer questions in a phone call/video call if you are told the answers by someone else (if someone asks you to answer “yes” / “no”)
Regularly check in with family or others who may be at risk. Monitor their financial records and report suspicious transactions
Talk to the bank about your vulnerable family member to prevent suspicious withdrawals
Understand that there are no free renovations
Visit Canada.ca to review green grant opportunities
Ask yourself: Why is this person offering help? How do they know my situation?
Consider checking your credit report online with TransUnion and Equifax
And search for your property on the Ontario Land Registry site, install video cameras around your home or video doorbells