Fake door hanger scam targets Northeast Ohio residents

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A new scam involving fake door hangers is spreading across Northern Ohio, prompting warnings from the Better Business Bureau.

The fraudulent flyers feature bright orange or green paper with bold “URGENT” warnings that demand residents call a private investigator immediately.

The Better Business Bureau says the door hangers have appeared from Toledo to Sandusky and now Cleveland.

“They are asking you to react. It is a warning, we need to hear from you. You are in violation of some city code. Please contact us and we have seen two different phone numbers listed on those door hangers,” said Ericka Dilworth, VP of Operations for Cleveland BBB.

The flyers claim an investigation is underway and cite “ORC 4749.0.”

However, when BBB staff called the numbers listed on the hangers, they were not connected to any private investigator.

“It just rings. So there is no way to know what is the end game,” Dilworth said.

In Streetsboro, Police Chief Patricia Wain said her department does use door hangers for legitimate purposes, but there are clear differences from the fake ones.

“We use them for a variety of reasons. Typically if want to let someone know that we were at their house or their place of business. To notify someone that we were their for an alarm drop and we found a door that was open or a window that was open,” Wain said.

Legitimate police door hangers display the police departments name at the top with their phone number directly underneath.

Wain advises residents to always call their local police department to verify information.

“Make sure the phone number is accurate. That is going to be your first line of defense because I could put any phone number on any of these cards and you could be calling whoever,” Wain said.

If residents find one of the fake hangers on their door, they should not call the number listed. Instead, they should report it to local police and the BBB, then throw it away.

“The scammers are out there. They are working hard. It is their job and we have to keep up with them and find the new ones and try to stop them from getting away with it,” Wain said.

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