Herald name used in subscription ruse

Published 9:32 pm Sunday, June 14, 2009

EVERETT — Be wary answering the front door at home, no matter how trustworthy the person knocking may appear.

That’s the message from police after two recent incidents involving people reportedly posing as carriers for The Herald trying to collect money.

The newspaper doesn’t use carriers to collect money from subscribers — only to deliver newspapers.

“Always be cautious and try to identify the person by some means before you open the door,” Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

Officers weren’t able to track down a man who approached a home in south Everett on Wednesday, and tried to pass himself off as a carrier for The Herald, he said.

The homeowner called 911 when he became suspicious, Goetz said. The homeowner also reported the incident to the newspaper.

That’s exactly what people should do, Goetz said.

“If you have a question or are suspicious, then call the company themselves before you give money or agree to purchase or anything,” he said.

An Edmonds homeowner in early May also had a suspicious incident involving someone posing as a Herald carrier, officials said.

“If you don’t know the person, don’t open the door at all,” Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

Peep holes and chains provide additional security on home doors, Goetz said.

Herald carriers stopped the practice of collecting for subscriptions door-to-door in the early 1990s, publisher Allen Funk said. Bills now are settled over the phone or by mail.

“If a Herald carrier is contacting you, you should be suspicious,” Funk said. “They don’t handle money.”

Anyone with concerns is encouraged to call the newspaper’s circulation department at 425-339-3200.

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.