A North East woman says she was left terrified when two men posing as roofers demanded £3.5k at her door.
The 65-year-old had advertised online for help with a dripping gutter and was approached by two men claiming they could carry out the work that day for £250.
But 20 minutes after arriving, they rang the doorbell and claimed water was splashing from the gutters and damaging wood beneath the roof, saying it needed an urgent repair.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has shared her story amid a warning from Citizens Advice that suspected roofing scams made up 10 per cent of complaints about goods or services flagged as fraudulent to its consumer service over the last year
She said: “I was afraid – there were two men at my door in the dark, demanding money and making it clear they weren’t moving.
“They came at 4pm and went to the back of the house with lamps and ladders. They rang the door 20 minutes later, and said water was splashing out of the gutters and damaging the wood underneath the roof – that I needed ‘eave protection’ or the rain would cause more damage.
“They said they could do the work now for £2,500, and that other companies would charge me almost double. They said I should do it because it was very rainy and the rain would damage my house more, so I agreed.
“An hour later they said it was sorted, but they’d found another problem. They showed me a little bucket full of cement, saying it was crumbling under the tiles and there would be leaks if I didn’t get it sorted now.
“I was afraid – two men in front of me in the dark, demanding money and making it clear they weren’t moving. They knew I was alone; I didn’t feel like I could deal with anything that might happen after, so I paid £3,500.
“The next day there was no trace that any work was done. I felt stupid, and tried to contact them, but couldn’t get through.”
Citizens Advice, Trading Standards and the Financial Ombudsman Service helped the woman secure a bank refund and £800 compensation from the online platform where she posted the advert.
She was told the traders had been removed from the website but returned under a different name and address after scamming others in the area.
(Image: PA)
Citizens Advice said the case was one of a growing number of roofing scams leaving households thousands of pounds out of pocket.
Suspected roofing scams made up 10% of complaints about goods or services flagged as fraudulent to the charity’s consumer service over the last year, it has reported.
A “shocking” one in four of all the roofing complaints it received in the same period were suspected scams.
Consumers reported so-called traders disappearing with their money, being tricked into paying for work that had not been done, damage or issues being invented, aggressive sales tactics, demands for payment that left them feeling intimidated and being grossly overcharged.
The charity found fraudsters used doorstep sales tactics in three quarters (77%) of suspected roofing scams.
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Citizens Advice chief executive Dame Clare Moriarty said: “Poor quality work is an issue in the roofing sector. But there’s a difference between a roofer who does a shoddy job and a scammer who commits a calculated crime – designed solely to extort money from homeowners.
“Scammers exploit the fact that roofs are out of sight and reach, knowing most people can’t easily inspect the work themselves.
“Our advisers help thousands of people caught out by roofing scams each year. With the impacts often devastating – leaving people thousands of pounds out of pocket – we’re urging consumers to make thorough checks before agreeing to building work.”
(Image: PA)
National Trading Standards chairman Lord Bichard said: “Roofing fraud is a particularly cruel crime because it turns the place where people should feel safest – their own home – into a source of fear.
“Criminals invent urgent problems that are difficult for homeowners to verify, then use intimidation and pressure to extract thousands of pounds. Victims can lose life savings in a matter of hours and be left with damaged homes, financial hardship and a profound sense of vulnerability long after the criminals have gone.
“These are not simply traders doing a bad job. They are criminals deliberately preying on people in their own homes, and we are determined to bring them to justice.
“Recent sentences following one of our most significant roofing fraud investigations show the consequences can be severe. Anyone who uses fear and deception to exploit homeowners should be in no doubt that Trading Standards will pursue you and you can expect to pay a heavy price.”