Telephone Scam

There are several citizens in the City of Eaton who have received phone calls from an individual claiming to be from a roofing company.

The number shown on most caller IDs is (937) 854-0298.

This is a fake number and you can't call them back.  There are several cell phone and internet phone applications that allow a person's caller ID to appear as a number different than their actual number.  If you receive a call from this number simply hang up and don't speak to them. We are investigating the source of the calls but strongly believe as long as you don’t speak to them you have nothing to worry about. 
 
A trend in similar scams involves telephone calls from criminals claiming to be from a business.  Make sure to check the credibility of any business you speak to over the phone.  Potential burglars will call you pretending to be a construction company or roofing company and will try to get you to tell them when you won't be home.  They'll engage you in a conversation, and attempt to schedule an appointment with you.  The key in the scam isn't in setting the appointment, it's in getting the homeowner to say when they will or will not be home. 

If a salesman calls and you are interested in meeting with them, it's not unusual to tell them, "I won't be home tomorrow until 4, so why don't we meet at 5."  With that simple statement you've told them an opportune time to break into your home.

Never tell a phone solicitor when you will not be home.  It's a good idea to have your home phone forwarded to your cell phone when you aren't home so it never appears your home is empty.

Our advice to you is if you receive a call from a phone solicitor is to simply hang up.  You have no obligation to answer their questions or advise them of any details of your home or property.  By not speaking to them or answering any questions you are making yourself a "hard target" for criminals, and criminals are always looking for easy targets.