Concerns about fraudsters in Prague: People who offer window inspections are bypassing Petřiny
Warnings about people entering homes have started to spread mainly on social networks since last weekend. “Be careful, now I’ve fired two boys under 30,” one of the locals warned. The young men had boards with them and were said to be conducting a survey on window service. The woman had been warned before by the fact that some people were moving here, a neighbor who had already kicked a man out of the house.
The young men did not prove by any means what company they work for. They were also said to be vulgar and rude. “When I told them I would report, they immediately ran away from the barracks,” she added. The houses have probably been around for a long time, even on a Sunday night. The seniors at home are now afraid to open the door slowly.
One of the seniors had an experience during which someone tried to get to her directly in the apartment. The men approached her on the street, saying they were inspecting the windows, and she was persuaded. They asked her for her address, telephone number and date of birth.
He demanded entry
A week later, according to her granddaughters, an unknown woman with a Ukrainian accent really called her, even though she hadn’t ordered anything at all and told her that someone would come to her house to check the windows. Then in the afternoon she even rang a man asking to enter the house. “Grandma hung up and was very scared. She locked herself and called me full of tears. I think they were dangerous. “ her granddaughter described the situation for Blesk.cz. She also suspects that everything was offered to her for free.
be careful
Locals are now posting announcements for homes so everyone can be careful. Concerns have emerged that this is not actually a window service, but a tipper looking for flats, which they then plan to steal.
The policy recommends not opening the door to the apartment or house to strangers under any pretext, whether it is an overpayment for electricity or pretexts such as being sent by a relative, a new neighbor, etc. in case of suspicion of an infringement, immediately call lintka 158.
Is it just a brigade?
On Facebook, a young man also objected to these citizens’ complaints, confirming that he was really going around the houses. He objected to making a tipper for someone, and this is just a brigade that students make a few crowns. “First of all, we are not even allowed to go to the apartment, so comments such as that we are trying to get into the apartment are fabrications,” he replied to a question from Blesk.cz, whether he really walks around the apartments. He claims that he proves which company he works for, but he did not state its name.
People will find similar things, not least because the new situation and strict anti-epidemic measures are still in place. Door-to-door sales are commonly banned in Prague, and last week the government banned them throughout the Czech Republic and in the context of anti-epidemic measures. But the temporary worker has a simple answer to that. “But the poll is not door-to-door,” he says.
The police dealt with similar cases
The police have not yet noticed any problems in Petřiny. But they solved a similar case last year. “We only record a case reported on February 1, when a group of people wanted to get to an apartment building in Řepy. The police officers called in found out on the spot that they were employees of a company doing business with plastic windows who wanted to contact the housekeeper, “ said Jan Rybanský, a spokesman for the Prague police. There was no infringement at the time. Violation of the doorstep selling ban is a violation of the market rules and is resolved in administrative proceedings.
Even the Municipal Police has not recently recorded an announcement regarding the door-to-door sale in Petřiny. “But we come across these announcements from time to time. In January, for example, we received 2 emergency call notifications with the same content when an unknown woman bypassed the inhabitants of the third part of the city and offered them cheaper electricity (she wanted to see the contracts). In the last month, we have registered 2 announcements from Prague 13 for door-to-door sales, a service in the form of window adjustment, “said Irena Seifertová, a spokeswoman for the Prague Municipal Police.