Home Repair Scams

Home Repair or Home Improvement Scams

Police Chief Zavinsky wants all residents to be aware that when the weather becomes pleasant, the repair scam artists won’t be far away. Keep the following in mind:

Q. If someone wanted to take your money, how would he/or she get it?

A. The common crook might try a robbery or a burglary. The con artist or cheat is after your money, too, but they don’t use a gun or physical force, they use fraud.

Most con artists prey on senior citizens, who are most vulnerable

Beware of the phony "repairman" who offers to check your roof, chimney, gutters, furnace, etc., and then tells you that something is seriously wrong and must be repaired immediately.

Beware of the contractor who claims to be working in your neighborhood and has materials left over, and who then offers to repair or re-surface your driveway, or perform some other home repair.

Be suspicious of any repairman whom you did not call
Ask for identification. Legitimate repairmen and utility personnel will have proper identification and will not be offended if you ask to see it
Don’t be pressured into paying cash or signing a contract
Before your agree to anything, discuss the matter with a family friend or a relative, or your lawyer
If you are suspicious, or have questions about any repairmen or any strangers at or near your home, get the license plate number of the person’s vehicle and call the police immediately
Remember, you won’t recognize con artists or swindlers by the way they look. They are usually experts in human psychology and behavior and know how to win your confidence with smooth talk and a self-assured manner
If you are offered a deal that sounds too good to be true, the chances are that’s just the case. If it’s too good to be true, it’s probably a swindle ... call the police at (201) 843-1515