The new wave of scammers coming knocking on your door
Authorities are warning a new breed of building scammers are showing up on residents’ doorsteps, using aggressive tactics and leaving victims with botched work and empty wallets.
Police have warned Queensland residents to watch out for another kind of scammer, who go knocking door-to-door.
Roofing scammers are reportedly operating across the state, offering “unusually cheap” roof maintenance, tile replacement, or cleaning services.
Queensland Police Service said the scammers are targeting elderly and vulnerable residents.
In one reported case this week, an unlicensed roofer took advantage of an elderly couple after knocking on their door and using high pressure sales tactics to secure work to restore and paint the roof.
The couple reported he painted the roof in the wrong colour, did dodgy and incomplete restoration work, increased the price of the quote throughout the job and demanded payment but refused to issue an invoice.
When the quality of his work was questioned, he got aggressive and threatened to strip the paint off the roof.
“It’s really stressful, he made me feel pressured to get the work done with storm season upon us but then proceeded to do such a dodgy job I’m going to have to pay someone else to fix it all,” said the resident.
“It is really upsetting’.
Subsequent checks found the contractor was unlicensed and not registered for GST. QBCC is investigating.
Police investigations have also linked another doorknocking incident from Manly West in Brisbane to previous scams in Caboolture, Strathpine, Svensson Heights, Capalaba and Woolloongabba, which targeted elderly residents and resulted in substantial financial losses.
The incident involved a man who claimed to be from a roofing service, offering to upgrade a resident’s roof in Manly West.
He left after the resident declined and was a passenger in a white Nissan Navara.
The vehicle and associated individuals were linked to the previous scams.
Peter Rayson from My Home Improvements in Brisbane said his business had repaired shoddy work done by scammers, which had caused “a lot of frustration for customers”.
He also said residents had been targeted after hail storms.
“You imagine your house has been battered by hail, you’re pretty desperate to get it fixed,” he said.
“You’ve rung all the legitimate roofers you can find on Google, they’re all busy for the next three or four months, so of course you’re desperate and then someone knocks on your door and says, ‘I can fix it’.
“And then you don’t know what the quality is, it’s never going to be something that lasts and you’re left with an issue that no one’s going to come back to fix. You end up paying for it again through someone like ourselves.”
Indicators of a scam included flyers, signage or door-to-door promotions advertising cheap work, with some amounts varying between $2400 to $2900, Mr Rayson said.
In Queensland, companies and individuals who complete building work valued over $3300 must hold a licence with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).
Mr Rayson said scammers took advantage of the threshold, by advertising roofing work below $3000 - meaning they wouldn’t need to hold a licence.
He added a major roof restoration job was more likely to cost at least $5000 with a licenced and insured builder.
During the last financial year, unlicensed contracting accounted for 46 per cent of all investigations by the QBCC.
“It’s like anything in retail, you get what you pay for,” Mr Rayson said.
“In our industry, people I talk to say everyone’s three to four months booked out.
“No one in that situation who does good work is ever going to go doorknocking.”
The QBCC also warned if homeowners use an unlicensed person, there are no guarantees the work will be done well or at all.
Warning signs include a person saying there is roof damage without going up and directly inspecting it and offering what seems to be an affordable or low price and applying pressure for a deposit, a spokesperson said.
The body said residents should ensure they have a written dated contract signed by both parties and that they don’t pay excessive deposits or progress payments.
“Don’t get damaged again by an unlicensed contractor. If the person showing up at your house can’t show you their licence, you should show them the door,” the QBCC spokesperson said.
Homeowners can check contractors’ licences, what work they are able to do and if they’ve ever faced fines for defective work on the QBCC website.
They can also report suspicious activity to Policelink or to Crime Stoppers if they wish to be anonymous.
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Originally published as The new wave of scammers coming knocking on your door
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