Roofing scammers con homeowners out of thousands of pounds
One in 10 scams reported to Citizens Advice relate to fraudsters charging for work not done, or done badly.
Roofing scammers are defrauding homeowners across the UK out of tens of thousands of pounds, as reported by Citizens Advice. One in ten of all the scams recorded by the consumer advice charity in the past year were related to roofing, making it the most common type of scam they received. Crystal, a 68-year-old woman from the Midlands, is one such victim who lost £5,500 after a rogue builder left her roof in disrepair and caused further damage to her neighbor's property.
The scammer pressured Crystal into re-doing her roof, claiming it needed work, even though it was not necessary. Another victim, Charlotte, 65, from north-eastern England, was approached by two men who offered to fix her leaking gutter for £250. They then claimed they needed to do further work, which cost her an additional £2,500.
However, after a few hours, Charlotte realized that no work had been done. Citizens Advice urges consumers to be cautious when hiring roofing contractors, suggesting that they seek references, confirm everything in writing, avoid unsolicited door-to-door sales, gather evidence, and know their rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Lord Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, described roofing fraud as particularly cruel and warned that victims can lose their life savings and be left with damaged homes, financial hardship, and a profound sense of vulnerability.
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