Householders warned of conmen calling at their door offering to carry out repairs

There has been a case of con men in Putney offering work on a residents roof in the last few days, and two similar reports in Balham. In one case a significant amount of money was handed over and the house was left without any roof tiles.

The council’s community safety and trading standards team are putting out the following advice:

+ Don’t let cold callers do any work on your home
+ If you think you may need some work doing, get three written quotes from reputable firms
+ Check traders with a scheme such as Trustmark and Checkatrade or get recommendations from friends
+ Do not be pressurised into handing over any money
+ Do not make any large payments upfront

The council’s community safety spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said: “We would strongly advise people not to open the door to cold calling traders. Don’t let anyone do work on your home unless you’re sure they’re reputable and are charging you a reasonable amount of money.

“We would also ask people to keep an eye out for vulnerable neighbours who could fall prey to these conmen, and encourage our residents to join local neighbourhood watch schemes”

If you have any concerns about rogue traders, call 020 8871 6567 or email communitysafety@wandsworth.gov.uk

February 20, 2018