Attorney General William Tong urged consumers to be wary of potentially deceptive door hangers asking residents to provide water samples for testing. These door hangers are not affiliated with any government public health authority or any official water quality warning or advisory.
The Office of the Attorney General has received complaints regarding plastic bags left on consumers’ front door knobs (known as “door hangers”) at homes in Colchester, Farmington and Hartford.
The door hangers contain a survey card with the heading “Connecticut Safe Water” and a telephone number, together with a plastic vial. The card requests consumers to complete a survey and fill the vial with a sample of their home’s tap water for testing.
“Door hanger solicitations may be lawful, but it’s never okay to deceive or confuse consumers. These door hangers are not affiliated with any government agency, and there is absolutely no requirement to provide a water sample. If you have been misled or harmed by these hangers, I want to know,” said Tong in a statement.
• Learn more about state laws and regulations governing door hangers here.
This issue was brought to the attention of the Office of the Attorney General by the AARP, according to Nora Duncan, AARP CT State Director.
“AARP CT Fraud Watch Network Volunteers received suspicious solicitations at their homes and reported it up the chain to the AARP state office,” Duncan said. “Our work with the Coalition for Elder Justice in CT (CEJC) allowed for effective reporting to the Office of the Attorney General and the CT Department of Consumer Protection, resulting in quick action by both agencies. This action helps to prevent misleading advertising and consumers needlessly sharing personal data with potentially deceptive companies. This kind of collaboration is what makes our work in Connecticut successful and proves that if you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.”
