Sarah says that last night an ADT sales rep came to her door trying to sell her an alarm system. He said that there were two break-ins “last week” and that whenever these occur ADT sends out a rep to “give away” two “free” alarm systems.

“I sent the guy away, and this morning looked up police reports from the last month and a half to see whether our neighborhood really did have two break-ins,” writes Sarah. “Big surprise, the answer is no.”

Moral of the story: never believe what a salesman comes to your door says, let alone buy what they’re selling.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.