We have just had a report of a possible scam targeting elderly people in Mount Merrion. This concerns a group of men offering to repair roofs which they claim are damaged.
The mode of operation is for the men to appear at the doorsteps of the homeowner and offer roofing repair services to the trusting victims. They go to the roof and look around for a few minutes, and then demand from a hundred to thousands of euro for work they supposedly did while on the roof or try to convince the householder that the work needs to be done. They will have stripped away several tiles to show the damage. If the homeowner expresses surprise at the amount charged, it may be reduced provided they pay cash up front. The scam artists will leave with the money after doing little or nothing to the roof of the victims.These people can be very pushy and persuasive even to the point of being aggressive.
Our Advice:
Do not do business or engage with someone arriving on your doorstep uninvited.
If you need work done on your house always engage a reputable contractor.
Always get a quote in writing from a contractor, before you agree to have any work to be performed on your property. If a contractor is legitimate, he will not have a problem signing such a quote. This way, a homeowner can be certain that the contractor has done the preliminary investigation of the roof properly.
It is an accepted practice to provide written up front quotes without charge and without obligation.
If you become aware of such people going door to door offering any type of repair or other services, please call the Gardaí in Blackrock Telephone 01 666 5200 and they will handle the situation in the most appropriate manner.