SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KSOO) – An 84-year-old woman was scammed by a door to door salesman in Sioux Falls who offered to cut her tree down. The incident happened at her home near the intersection of Van Eps and Braemar Avenue on Friday (April 26th).

The man said he’d need a deposit to rent equipment to take down the tree, and the woman agreed to write a $1,200 check. A few minutes after the man left, doubts were surfacing in the woman’s mind as to the credibility of the man. She called the bank to see if she could stop payment on the check, only to discover that it was too late and the check had been cashed.

A call to police and further investigation revealed the man had used a fictitious name and had selected a phone number of a Sioux Falls retired individual as his contact number.

Officer Sam Clemens with the Sioux Falls Police Department says that all individuals selling goods or services door to door must have a peddler’s license, with the small exception of children and some religious organizations. Furthermore, anyone offering tree services can be cross-referenced with a list of qualified arborists that have passed a test and registered with the city of Sioux Falls.