IDT is Still Trying to Get Your Business

A Harlem resident sent out an email about IDT agents trespassing in a coop building. The agents are all over the City, including Sunset Park. I haven't seen any nearby lately, nor have I heard of people knocking on doors recently. It seems that they tend to move very deliberately in one direction. Just a week or so after showing up in South Slope and Greenwood Heights, they turned up in the 40s. Keep an eye out!

What you see below is the text from a letter sent to IDT by this Harlem resident. It includes the link to a youtube video of the adorable agents. No really, they are cute. Too bad they're also obnoxious and taking advantage of fellow human beings during tough times.

On Wednesday, 4/15/09, after being asked to leave, your IDT Agents refused to leave my building, located at [West Harlem address here]. They remained in the building after over 25 minutes of being asked to leave, even though I clarified I was an owner. They also refused to stop bothering my elderly neighbors, after being asked to do so. Additionally they refused to give me a phone number or phone numbers to allow me to call a supervisor to assist in asking them to leave. Then I took out my video camera.

There were two female agents, once wore a pink shirt under her coat and the other a gray beret. The agent in the pink shirt said her brother was her boss and he wouldn't like it if she gave out his phone number, nor could I use her phone and use her minutes. (I offered her $5 to use her phone, but that offer was refused.) Your agents stated I could not make them leave even if I was an owner in the building because someone on the 4th floor buzzed them in. I said if they are guests of that person, they are now out of their apartment, so they need to leave my building. The girl in the beret said something like: Oh it’s your building, yeah right. And I clarified again, that I am an owner in the building and I want them to leave immediately. They said that the last building they were just in someone also called the police and that the police came and said they were allowed to be there. That of course is not true.

After asking the agents to leave for over 10 minutes, I called my super at 1:29pm hoping a man's presence would convince the agents to leave but he was not available. I then called IDT at 1:37pm @877-887-6866 and they said they could not call off their agents, and that I'd have to call the police. At 1:41pm I called 311 who transferred me to 911 because your agents were trespassing.

They continued door-to-door and I told each neighbor I saw that I have asked these agents to leave and that I called the police. One agent had already convinced my elderly neighbor to bring them their Con Ed bill and I also told that neighbor I had called the police.

Your agents pretended they called the police to report me and then they began knocking on doors on my first floor, and that is when I went to get my video camera. When officers from the 30th Precinct arrived they said they had received my call but had not received a call from your agents.

Here is the video that I put on youtube, as you will see, per request of your agent [name removed as requested] #6706306. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp1zhXVh_FQ

So far I've submitted it to Channel 7("7 on Your Side"), Fox ("Shame, Shame, Shame"), The Consumerist, The Gothamist, Curbed, NYC bloggers/websites (if they have articles about problems with your agents), and the NYS Public Service Commission.

Under § 140.05 of the New York Penal Law, "[a] person is guilty of trespass when he knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in or upon premises.."

If indeed these are legitimate agents from your company, they have not represented you well. This is the third time in a few weeks your agents have entered my building and have gone to door-to-door. Please stop sending your agents to Harlem.

NYPD Scam Alerts About Town

Focused on scams that involve opening your door to someone you don't know, the NYPD has signs around the neighborhood warning residents (in English and Spanish) about scams and advising them about how to avoid them.

Some of the tips given:

* Never allow anyone inside without an appointment or proper ID; even if ID is shown, call your utility company to verify.
* Keep a check on neighbors, be alert to anyone looking to perform home repairs and asking for entry.
* Immediately report any suspicious activity to the police. This can be a 911 call, based on what we were told at a June Community Council meeting.

Types of scams:

Imposter: Utility Worker Scam - claiming there is an emergency, claiming you must give cash or service will be shut off, asking to see a bill.

Stranger Scam: Claiming to be a victim of a crime (call 911 for them, and say so), claiming his car broke down "up the block," claiming a sick family member is in the car, claiming to be looking for someone at your address and needing help with a new address.

The sheets also provide numbers to assist in our vigilance:
Con-Ed: 1800 75CONED DEP: 718 595 7000 National Grid: 1800 642 4272