DES MOINES, Iowa — Leah Ackerman with Manscapes Lawn Care in Des Moines said she and her partner receive lots of inquiries about their services, but many recently are "oddly worded" messages.
That's because scammers have started targeting Ackerman and other small, local businesses providing similar services in the area. The scam-like messages started back in 2020, but potential customers have essentially been ghosting the couple when the arrive at a home for a price estimate.
"There was a 'for sale' sign in the front," Ackerman recounted about a recent estimate her partner went out to. "[The home] looked neat and tidy, so it was like, 'It doesn't look like you need our help here.' And so he decided to ring the doorbell."
However, no one answered the door. And when Ackerman's partner called the homeowners' listing agent on the sign, they confirmed the business had "a wrong number" and their client never sought lawn services.
Ackerman told Local 5 News the phone numbers who send these scam-like messages generally have out-of-state area codes. She doesn't want to assume it's a scam message, because she said: "You're going to do what you can to help somebody."
It's an ongoing scam that has raised other concerns for Ackerman.
"The bigger concern is the safety factor," she explained. "We do have somebody in this case who went to a home, and let's say had a confused, angry homeowner, that somebody came to the door and they're saying: 'Well you called me here.' I could see where there could be the potential for confrontation or conflict."