Randy and his wife Bonnie hired a Contractor through an online classified ad to build metal gates for their yard and a railing around their deck. They did their homework and checked his references.
After paying the 50 per cent down payment, the excuses started to roll in as to why the Contractor was unable to make it out to their home to start the work.
"Looking back, there were odd things we should have paid attention to. Like how the guy seemed rushed, 'I need your business!' But he was younger, maybe he was just really excited and that's why he seemed rushed," said Bonnie. "We gave him the benefit of the doubt."
Randy tried to track him down but was advised by his children to drop it for fear of retaliation from the scammer.
Later, Randy attended a seniors' presentation on fraud where EPS Det. Linda Herczeg spoke about the different types, including contractor fraud. Randy shared his story with her.
"We work with the community to provide education, awareness and tools for citizens to stay safe. In turn, we get the opportunity to meet people who share information with us to help us do our jobs better," said Det. Herczeg with Economic Crimes. "Randy's situation is a perfect example. His sharing allowed me to liaise with our policing partners to discover that we all have files on the Contractor. This allows us to work better together."
The Contractor has scammed approximately 100 people throughout the province.
"I'm grateful to Randy and Bonnie for coming forward with their story, so others are aware and alert. We have strengthened consumer protections in Alberta because no one should be scammed into a bad deal and have their trust betrayed," said Hon. Stephanie McLean, Minister of Service Alberta and Status of Women. "In Alberta, home reno fraud remains one of the most common complaints we get, and I urge anyone with an incident to call our Consumer Protection Line at 1-877-427-4088, and we'll look into it."
The Consumer Protection Office of Service Alberta considers the risk of fraud and unfair practices by home and garden improvement suppliers to be a formidable threat to Alberta.
"We have seen an exponential increase in complaints related to home and property renovations since 2015," said Bradley Siddell, director of the Consumer Investigation Unit for Alberta. "The numbers have doubled each year, monopolizing our investigations energy and resources by 40 per cent."
Out of the 2,500 allegations of consumer protection improprieties, 1,000 are directly associated to prepaid contracting transactions. These fraudsters are typically unlicensed, independent contractors who partake in door-to-door business solicitation, accept payment for an agreed upon service, and never actually complete the work.
In 2017, nine people reported being a victim of contractor fraud to EPS. The total money lost amounted to $4,065.00. Twenty-one people came forward as victims of business/service scams - totaling a loss of $775,638.80.
Buying a new home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make. Dawn wanted to ensure the home she was purchasing was safe for both her and her children. She asked the realtor to arrange a home inspection.
The inspector cleared the house, but when the family moved in, they found it unsafe and infested with mice. They now have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to repair it. Since the incident, Dawn has learned that the home inspector was not licensed.
She is warning other families to do their homework before hiring a home inspection service.
Protect Yourself from Contractor Fraud
- Do not pay more than $1,000 or 10 per cent of the job total, whichever is the lesser amount, upfront
- Ensure everything you want and agree to is in the final contract
- Request that the contractor gets a builder's permit
- Ensure that the contract requires that both parties sign before anything is charged or worked on
- Do not buy services or materials on the spot or on impulse
For additional fraud and crime prevention tips, please visit www.edmontonpolice.ca/Fraud.
The EPS reminds citizens that fraud prevention is ongoing - we need to recognize it, report it and stop it.
If you are a victim of a fraud, or have knowledge of an economic crime, please contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm.
from Media Releases http://ift.tt/2FNfXr3
No comments:
Post a Comment