BOSTON, Mass. — With summer just around the corner, officials are warning the public about a new wave of home improvement scams targeting the elderly in the Boston area.
According to police, many Boston residents in summers past have paid tens of thousands of dollars for masonry, driveway, paving, chimney, basement, roofing and fence repair that is not up to par. Oftentimes, these victims are left with worse damage to their homes and a hefty bill.
Most of the scammers identified by authorities are traveling from Ireland and the United Kingdom under a program that doesn’t allow them to work in the U.S. during their 90-day visit. The scammers are primarily targeting senior citizens.
Tactics used by these scammers include:
· Door-to-door solicitation – paper flyers with uninspired business names (A1 Paving, City & Town Paving, etc.)
· Will offer discounts because of “left over materials” from neighborhood jobs
· High pressure – will exaggerate need for work to be done immediately
· After initial work may show threatening or intimidating demeanor
· They will ask checks be made out to them individually and not the company name
Residents are reminded that most of the work being done by these scam artists need a City of Boston building permit. Additionally, the con artists companies are not registered with the city or state and their websites are brand new.
Anyone who approaches your home and wants to perform unsolicited work on your house should be viewed as a potential scammer. If you feel like you have been victimized by one of these scams, you are asked to file a report with your local police department.
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