WAKEFIELD — Wakefield Police Department issued a warning to residents about a surge in fraudulent home inspections and assessments orchestrated by scam artists posing as town officials.
The department has alerted the community that if individuals arrive unscheduled or unsolicited at homes claiming to perform inspections or assessments on behalf of the Town of Wakefield, homeowners should immediately contact the Wakefield Town Hall to confirm their legitimacy.
Residents are advised not to allow these individuals entry or to engage with them outside their homes.
According to authorities, one prevalent scam involves a fake inspector or assessor distracting the homeowner by requesting to discuss matters outside, while an accomplice burglarizes the home.
Another tactic includes setting up a supposed future inspection or assessment, during which the scammer asks detailed scheduling questions to discern when the house will be unoccupied.
Scammers often go to lengths to appear credible, carrying clipboards, using vehicles with counterfeit decals, and wearing clothes bearing fabricated names and titles.
However, official Town of Wakefield inspectors and assessors are distinctively marked with official town vehicle signage and carry proper identification credentials at all times.
Wakefield Police urge any resident who encounters an unsolicited visit from someone claiming to be a town inspector or assessor to treat it as a warning sign and report the incident.
The Wakefield Town Hall will verify the authenticity of the individual and vehicle, and if necessary, a Wakefield Police officer will be dispatched to respond to the situation.
