WINNIPEG, MB – A number of Winnipeg homeowners are making complaints to police of aggressive and potentially fraudulent sales practices for home heating systems.

Police said the common theme is that a salesperson or salespeople will approach homes and may be carrying uniforms with corporate logos and/or business identification. These individuals will then say they’re performing furnace inspections or wish to check the operating status of the heating system. This often results in them attempting to gain access to the home.

Police are reminding people that private companies, nor their employees, have any legal authority to enter a home to perform furnace inspections. These people are salespeople whose ultimate goal is to entice residents to make purchases of home heating products.

There have been reports of these individuals claiming to be associates or employees with Manitoba Hydro.

While Manitoba Hydro staff will go door-to-door for a number of reasons, they carry official Manitoba Hydro identification with their name and photo and will not pressure homeowners to gain entry, even for inspections.

More information is available, click here.

Police want you to remember that you can deny entry to any individual that seems suspicious, and are asked to call the police non-emergency number at 204-986-6222.