Summer is prime time for illegal scams
Summer is a time when people in our county venture outside and around the house to begin the various projects that have piled up over winter. Whether it’s landscaping or more detailed undertakings, our residents look forward to the bright and enjoyable coming months. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when home repair and diversion thieves begin making rounds across the country.
These transients take advantage of people’s good nature for personal profit and target a community’s elderly residents. They move throughout the country, stopping in areas long enough to pull a money-making scheme and then move on.
There are certain types of common thefts they commit. Home repair scams are a constant and range from seal coating driveways to painting, lawn fertilizing, roofing and the installation of unnecessary equipment, like lightning rods.
Here’s how a typical scam will work. Someone comes to your home unsolicited and says they are working in the area and have extra material from that job and will perform work for you for a fraction of the normal cost. A price is agreed upon and they begin the work. Now comes the scam! Near the end of finishing the work, they tell you the job cost more than they expected and they need additional money. They become more verbally aggressive and demand the extra money. When confronted like this, many victims agree to pay.
After they leave, you discover the shoddy craftsmanship and materials used and, in the case of driveway resealing, the sealant is a cheap oil based substance that washes away with rain.
Don’t be pressured into having work done at your home. If someone comes to your home with a similar proposition and you are unsure, then look for some of these signs. Often they drive a pickup truck with out-of-state license plates and have no signs on the truck, or if they do, it’s an easily removed magnetic placard. There is typically more than one person but only one will speak and the others will remain near the vehicle.
If you’re suspicious, call a neighbor or relative and have them come over. Attention is the last thing they want. Ask for identification and what company they work for and a telephone number to verify that. If it’s not a local telephone number, ask yourself why. Someone from a legitimate business should have no problem verifying their information , providing you with a free estimate and allowing you to recontact them with a decision.
Another crime associated with home improvement scams is called a diversion theft. Just like it sounds, someone comes to your door and states they are working nearby and would like to give you a work estimate. They may want to examine your basement walls or ceiling upstairs and will attempt to talk their way into the house. They want you to follow them inside.
Once there, a second person enters the home and goes through your personal belongings and steals money, jewelry, and other valuables. They will even pose as utility workers to get inside, telling you they need to check for gas leaks or electrical boxes.
If someone tells you they are from a utility company and want to go inside, make sure they are who they claim to be. Ask for identification. Utility company employees will have some form of identification.
Call the utility company and ask if they have workers in the area. See if the vehicle the person is driving has any signs or if you even see a vehicle. Know what utility companies, such as gas, electric, and water, service your area.
If the person is from a utility company, they will respect your requests and wait for you to verify who they are. Again, if you feel unsure about a situation, call for a relative or neighbor to come over. If a neighbor is having work done that they didn’t tell you about, like having a driveway resealed, check on them and make sure the work being done is legitimate. Many elderly people won’t question what the scammer tells them, and that’s why they’re targeted.
Summer should be an enjoyable time for our residents and a time to enjoy the outdoors. There are a lot of legitimate remodeling companies and contractors in our region, who do quality work.
The purpose of this article is to warn you of people who come into our area for the sole reason of scamming others out of their money with shoddy materials and bogus claims.
Be aware of what’s out there and don’t be afraid to ask questions or call someone, including your local or state police departments.
See www.heraldstandard.com
for more items of interest pertaining to the Pennsylvania State Police.