Portland Police Seek Door-to-Door Security Scammers
PORTLAND, Ore. — Police are seeking two men accused of targeting minority-owned small businesses here with a fraudulent video surveillance camera company.
This past summer, Robert Chang-Syck Jun, 51, and Kevin Youn, 41, allegedly went door-to-door to local businesses offering to install a video surveillance system with Internet access, OregonLive.com reports. The two men carried business cards, brochures, invoices and legitimate-looking ID badges.
At least three victims told police that the duo took deposits, with a promise that they would return to complete the installations. However, the suspects failed to do the work and refused to return phone calls after cashing in the deposits ranging from $600 to $1,250.
The suspects operated under the business name “Security One,” but detectives have not found any business registered under the name. The men also have business listings under the names Advanced Digital Security, ADI and JUNTEC Systems.
For many in the industry, the matter is unsettling, especially because it has the potential to take business away from their firms. This rings true for Kathy Leming, who owns an electronic security company by the name Security One in Bend, Ore. Since 1989, Leming’s firm has installed intrusion alarms for residential and commercial clients. It also recently started installing surveillance systems for some of its clients.
Leming learned of the scam business after receiving a complaint from the Better Business Bureau for “Security One.” After doing a some digging on the Internet, she discovered that although the fraudulent company operated as “Security One,” it’s actual name is “Security One in Northwest,” which prompted her to contact Portland PD.
“Right off the bat when I called Portland PD, they said, ‘We know it’s not you,’” Leming tells SSI. “I’m incredibly annoyed, obviously, because when people see my company, they’ll say, ‘Don’t call them.’ I guess registering my company in the state of Oregon doesn’t protect me from this.”
What’s also disconcerting for Leming is that the Security One in Northwest has a logo that looks similar to here firm’s design. So, will Leming take legal action against the scammers?
“I saw that they are also imitating the distributor ADI. That’s stupid because ADI is a big company and it will go after them,” she says. “I, on the other hand, am too small. I don’t do the attorney thing too much. They are really going to have to affect me, and I don’t want to have to go and prove something.”
Ashley Willis is associate editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION magazine. She can be reached at (310) 533-2419.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
