Two different neighbors on our street in Waterview have reported the same thing this week. Aggressive door-to-door salespeople who do not seem to actually be selling anything.
What happened:
- Monday around 2 PM: A man knocked on doors claiming to sell home security systems. No company shirt, no ID badge, no branded vehicle. When asked for a business card, he said he did not have any.
- Wednesday around 3 PM: A different person — or possibly the same person with different clothes — knocked on doors in the same area of Waterview asking about "roof inspections." Same pattern: no company branding, no ID, no vehicle visible.
- Both times, the person seemed more interested in looking at the house and the garage than in making a sale. One neighbor said the person looked at her Ring camera and left immediately.
Why this matters: Door-to-door scoping is a known precursor to burglary. Fake salespeople walk the neighborhood to figure out which houses are unoccupied during the day, which have cameras, and which have dogs. Rowlett PD has warned about this pattern before.
What to do:
- Do NOT open the door if you do not recognize the person. Talk through a doorbell camera or a closed door.
- Ask for company name, ID, and a phone number you can verify. Real salespeople carry these. Scammers do not.
- Note the physical description, clothing, and any vehicle description. Share it on the Waterview HOA page and the Rowlett Community Facebook group.
- Call Rowlett PD non-emergency: 972-412-6200. They log these reports and will increase patrol if there is a pattern.
- Check if the person has a City of Rowlett solicitor permit. Legitimate door-to-door salespeople are required to have one. You can verify at City Hall.
My Ring footage: I have footage of the Monday visit from my doorbell camera. The person is a male, approximately 5'10, wearing a black polo and khaki pants. I am sending it to Rowlett PD today.
Anyone else in Waterview, Bayside, or the surrounding neighborhoods seen similar activity? Post your experience so we can track the pattern.
Same thing happened on my street in Waterview yesterday. Guy said he was doing "energy audits" for Oncor. I called Oncor and they said they do not send people door to door for energy audits. Reported it to Rowlett PD.