PETERSBURG, Va. -- Neighbors, and now police, want to know more about a man seen going door to door asking to help homeowners with ADT security systems change the batteries on their alarm systems.
The man may not have broken any laws, however police wanted to talk to him about his actions.
The man approached several people in various Petersburg neighborhoods over the weekend. One woman became nervous when the stranger addressed her by name.
"I'm like how would someone know my name," LaShunda Young said. "I was so terrified and shaken up, because I was like where did this man get my information from? Who is this man?"
She said the man told her he was from ADT and had to replace the batteries in her security system. She said the man claimed his company was supposed to call ahead and tell her he was coming. When she declined his service, he told her she needed to sign paperwork to verify the refusal.
"I said 'no, I'm not signing anything until you leave my property,'" she recalled. "Once he realized I was taking pictures, he quickly got into his car and skidded off."
The man was described as a white male in his 30's or 40's, 5'8" tall wearing a collared shirt and khaki shorts.
Young said she was not sure if the man was an actual ADT employee, a scam artist trying to rip her off or a burglar casing her home for a future hit.
Adrienne Washington shared similar concerns when the man knocked on her door Saturday morning.
"I told him I wasn't interested and it seemed kind of strange for me to have ADT as long as I have, that someone would just show up," Washington said. "Anytime they've come in the past, it's been a scheduled appointment."
While police investigate the incidents, ADT advised to be proactive if someone claiming to be from the company knocked on your door.
"Ask for photo identification and/or a business card of who is at your door," ADT Corporate Affairs Director Bob Tucker advised when asked about ways to avoid becoming a scam victim. "Call your current security company to confirm what you’re being told and request literature be left behind so you can study it before taking action."
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call Petersburg Police at 804-732-4222.
