Austin, TX ( prfree.org ) May 23, 2013 - Protect America, Inc., the largest wireless home security company in the United States, is raising awareness of a summer door knocking scam that could affect residents of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

For years, homeowners across the country have had to deal with various door-knocking scams. The goal of these scams often varies as some criminals are looking for personal or financial data while others collect funds for fraudulent charities. One of the more common door knocking scams focuses on home security customers.

"This has become a real problem for homeowners," said Arlin Owsley, a spokesman for Protect America. "These scammers can sometimes lock home security customers into an additional contract, beyond their existing service, that is hard to break. We're always a little surprised these scams work but there are a lot of potential victims and these criminals can be persistent."

The scam has become so prevalent that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning and tips for homeowners to protect themselves. If a salesperson offers a "limited time special" or an "upgrade", there's good reason to be suspicious. To identify legitimate salespeople at your door, ask for identification, such as a company badge, and their license for their door-to-door registration, known as a peddler's license. Almost every state requires this license and a legitimate salesperson will have no problem giving their information along with answering any questions you may have.

"Every legitimate door-to-door salesperson will have a few things that distinguish them from the scammers," Owsley added. "If you know what to look for, then it's pretty easy to protect yourself."

Homeowners in some areas will have to be more vigilant than others. In Washington, residents of Tacoma, Olympia, Yakima, Moses Lake, and Seattle will be at especially high risk. Montana towns at risk include Wolf Point, Chelsea, and Popular. Residents in Oregon and Idaho will also have to keep an eye out for door knocking scams this summer.

For more information about home security door knocking scams, visit the FTC website at http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0195-some-home-security-systems-may-be-scams.

Call 1-800-951-5190 to speak with a Protect America home security expert about a wireless alarm system.

Visit http://www.ProtectAmerica.com/shop/home-security-systems for more information.

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Homeowners in some areas will have to be more vigilant than others. In Washington, residents of Tacoma, Olympia, Yakima, Moses Lake, and Seattle will be at especially high risk. Montana towns at risk include Wolf Point, Chelsea, and Popular. Residents in Oregon and Idaho will also have to keep an eye out for door knocking scams this summer.