The cold caller was not attempting to sell anything or provide a service, said police, but told a story of how he was down on his luck and asked for a small amount of money from a resident.
With the help of the local community, the caller was found and spoken to by officers. But Cleveland Police are asking people to remain vigilant for unknown callers who may target the elderly and the vulnerable.
A police spokesperson said: “With so many people currently working from home or self isolating it’s a perfect time to take a few minutes to have a chat with friends, relatives or neighbours about what they can do to protect themselves and their homes if cold callers were to attend their address.”
Police in Hartlepool are dealing with reports of an uninvited caller knocking on doors in the Foggy Furze area of of town on Friday, June 5.
Cleveland Police ask that if you, or someone you know, is a victim of doorstep crime, or if a bogus caller makes you feel threatened or intimidated, to report it by calling the non-emergency police number 101.
Or if you have concerns about a doorstep trader, call Hartlepool Borough Council's Trading Standards team on 01429 523362.
Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.
In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.
Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.
With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.
Thank you.
How to subscribe to the print edition:
It’s easy to subscribe to your local newspaper. We have arranged a special 20 per cent off subscription offer for people to take advantage of. Visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk, choose the newspaper title, the type of subscription and enter your details.
