Door-to-Door Home Repair Fraud (Page 2)

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FLOOR JACK SCAM

A contractor notes that your living room floor vibrates when his men walk across it. After inspecting the floor from below, he announces that the floor may collapse unless it is braced. They install inexpensive metal screw jacks and charge $500 for each one installed.

INSPECTOR SCAM

After fraudulent contractors scam you a couple of times, they send someone who pretends to be a quality control inspector.  This individual says that all of the prior jobs were done wrong.  He says the jobs need to be done again or else the building inspector will condemn the home.  This fake inspector offers to file a lawsuit against the prior contractors and help you recover your lost money if you hire him to do the jobs over.

DRIVEWAY PAVING SCAM

A paving repairman knocks at your door.  He says he just finished a job at a nearby home.  He has some leftover paving material and says he will give you a bargain on paving your driveway.   He coats your drive with a very thin layer of asphalt that soon crumbles or washes away.

YOU HAVEN’T PAID US!

A man pretending to be a contractor confronts you and angrily demands payment for work he completed months earlier.  He threatens lawsuits and other legal action.  If the con artist senses that you have memory problems, he may say, “Sir, don’t you recall that you asked me to come back today so you could pay me?”

YOUR HOUSE DOES NOT MEET CODE

A contractor says that your home isn’t “up to code”.  He suggests renovations so it will not fail inspection.  The fact is that older homes are not required to meet modern building codes.

FROZEN PIPES SCAM

During the winter, a contractor claims that pipes under your home appear to be frozen.  The pipes will break and cause structural damage if they are not repaired before they thaw.  The scammer pretends to repair the pipes and then collect $1,000 or more.

Acorn wishes to acknowledge the Office of the Attorney General of North Carolina for this valuable content.  If you think a loved one has been victimized, call the NC Attorney General office at 877-5NO-SCAM