15 FINDS OUT: Scammers soliciting Simplx customers?

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The owners of Simplx Security in Fort Wayne are hoping to raise awareness about a scam affecting their customers.

They reached out to WANE 15 and 15 Finds Out to get the word out.

Recently, the company started receiving calls from customers saying someone from another company came to the door and claimed the company that they worked for was buying out Simplx.

These individuals told Simplx customers they didn’t have to sign up with them but their Simplx equipment would eventually deactivate if they didn’t. They would encourage people to sign up for an account and let them install some of their own equipment while they’re in town.

Nate Routsong, who founded the company with his wife Tara in 2005, even ran into one of these salesmen when he responded to a call from a customer saying one had shown up at her door.

Routsong told WANE 15 he was only going to help the customer but when he saw the individual on the sidewalk, he stopped and pretended to be a Simplx customer while recording the conversation.

In the recording, which doesn’t show the other individual, you can hear them say “That’s exactly what we’re doing. So, Simplx is being bought out.”

“Part of it was shocking, part of it was infuriating,” Routsong said. “It’s just very discouraging and very disturbing to us, too, that these people can go door to door and a product that is supposed to bring peace of mind, you know, safety, security to a family, instead is being predatory in nature.”

Nate and Tara said they’ve dealt with scammers trying to impact their business before. Even asking for help from the Better Business Bureau Serving Northeast Indiana, which they became accredited in 2008.

The BBB added an alert on its profile of Simplx which reads “Simplx Security LLC will never come to your door without a scheduled appointment. Consumers are encouraged to verify the identity of technicians and any requests for updates or changes to their security systems. Consumers with questions or concerns, about upgrades or changes to an existing account or security system, should call Tiffany at (260) 482-7233.”

Rick Walz, the president and CEO of the BBB Serving Northeast Indiana told WANE 15 that Simplx did the right thing by coming to WANE 15 to get the word out.

While phishing scams and other online scams are much more prevalent these days, door-to-door scams still exist. Walz said people really need to be wary of every solicitation they encounter.

“You have to be skeptical. You have to ask questions,” Walz said.

He explained that people should always do everything to verify what they’ve been approached with is legitimate, starting with calling the actual company.

The Routsongs are encouraging their customers to call them at any time with any questions.

“I think awareness is huge. I think just making our customers and people in neighborhoods aware that these people come around and they can be very deceptive and to do their research,” Tara said.

They’re worried more customers who have been scammed will turn up. At the same time, they’re frustrated by this issue and how far it has gone this time – with people representing another company saying that Simplx is being bought out.

“There’s competition, and then there’s fraud. And I think the line has been crossed,” Routsong said.

WANE 15 is not naming the company that the door-to-door salesmen, verified through customer call recordings submitted to 15 Finds Out, say they’re with.

WANE 15 did reach out to the company in question seeking clarity, but had not heard back at the time of this report.

The Routsongs are trying to navigate this issue, which they say has included loss of time and money trying to help customers get back on track with them — including fixing Simplx equipment they said was broken by representatives from the other company.

They want their customers to know they are a local Fort Wayne company, and they haven’t been bought out nor will they be going anywhere anytime soon.

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