The builder who calls at your door says they are doing some work in the area and has spotted a loose tile on your roof. They offer to fix it for a good price that you agree to.<\/p>\n
But when they go up on their ladder to inspect the problem, they see another problem. Rain has been splashing out of the gutters and the wood around them is getting damaged. The only solution, the builder says, is to have rigid PVC trays installed to divert the water.<\/p>\n
More rain is forecast and you are worried about what damage could be done so you pay the builder via bank transfer to get the job done there and then. They are gone within an hour, having apparently completed the work.<\/p>\n
But nothing was done because there was no problem with your guttering. Instead you were one of a growing number of people who have been targeted by criminals posing as roofers, only to make off with payment after doing unnecessary or no work.<\/p>\n
The charity Citizens Advice says suspected roofing frauds were the top scam it heard from consumers about in the last year. It received more than 2,200 complaints of suspected roofing scams in the year to August in England and Wales, about 10% more than the previous year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vast majority of cases is \u2026 somebody just knocking on your door saying that they\u2019ve noticed that there\u2019s something wrong with your roof and they\u2019re in a position to help you,\u201d says Ruwani Purcell, the director of external affairs at Citizens Advice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe difficulty is [that] your roof is out of sight and out of reach. You can\u2019t fully see what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Purcell says the fraudsters use really persuasive tactics to offer you confidence and reassurance that they know what they\u2019re talking about. \u201cAnd you might not be familiar with [the] terms,\u201d she says. \u201cIn the worst case scenarios, they\u2019ve been quite intimidating to compel people to hand over money there and then.\u201d<\/p>\n
What it looks like<\/p>\n
While more than three-quarters of the roofing scams reported to Citizens Advice start with someone knocking at the door, some criminals look online for potential victims.<\/p>\n
In one case dealt with by Citizens Advice, a 65-year-old woman posted on an online platform that she needed someone to fix a dripping sound in her gutters. A builder phoned her to say that it would cost \u00a3250 but when he and another man came and examined her roof they said they had discovered more problems and the price quickly grew. At one point they showed her a bucket of cement and said it was crumbling from under the tiles.<\/p>\n
The woman said the man and his accomplice said the work needed to be done immediately and once they claimed to have finished they wanted the payment straightaway.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was afraid, two men in front of me in the dark, demanding money and making it clear they weren\u2019t moving,\u201d the victim told Citizens Advice. \u201cThey knew I was alone, I didn\u2019t feel like I could deal with anything that might happen after, so I paid \u00a33,500.\u201d<\/p>\n
She paid it using bank transfer. \u201cThe next day there was no trace that any work was done,\u201d she said. \u201cI felt stupid, and tried to contact them, but couldn\u2019t get through.\u201d<\/p>\n
What to do<\/p>\n
Be wary of anyone offering unsolicited work by cold calling and demanding confirmation of a job and payment there and then. No reputable builder will do that, says Purcell.<\/p>\n
To check the roofer\u2019s authenticity, ask for references and for all proposed work to be confirmed in writing. Treat it as a red flag if they refuse this or if they insist on being paid in cash.<\/p>\n