Warning over rogue traders and cold callers in Islington after £100,000 suspected fraud
Action is being taken over rogue traders and cold callers in Islington after a series of scams including a suspected £100,000 fraud.
More than 29 doorstep-selling complaints have been reported to Islington Council's Trading Standards since the start of 2018.
In a typical scam, a rogue trader cold calls and say some small property maintenance is needed - such as repairs to a driveway, guttering or roof. They will offer to carry out the work for a low price, but then pretend that more work needs doing, with costs quickly escalating to £10,000 or more. Work is usually overpriced, badly done and not necessary.
In the most serious incident - under investigation by police - more than £100,000 was taken from a householder for work that was not carried out, following an initial cold call.
In another incident earlier this month, Islington Trading Standards intervened and saved a householder £11,000 for roof repairs following a cold call.
Islington Trading Standards also have a new tactic against rogue traders - when a suspected rogue trader or cold caller scam is reported, they send a mailshot to nearby homes warning them to be careful.
Islington Trading Standards advice is:
· Do not buy from cold callers
· Be very cautious about anyone who tells you unannounced you need work on your home and do not agree to having work done by them
· If you do need work doing or want to find out if you do, choose a trader using a trader approval scheme recommended by the council, such as Which? Trusted Traders
· Get three written quotes before deciding who to choose to do the work
· If you need advice or want to report a trader to Trading Standards, phone 03454 04 05 06
· Free “no cold calling” stickers to place on your door are available at Islington libraries
Cllr Andy Hull, Islington Council’s executive member for finance and community safety, said: “Rogue traders and cold callers often prey on vulnerable people, and can cause huge misery and upset. We will continue to investigate and take action on all reports of rogue traders in Islington.
“We are urging residents not to buy from cold callers saying they need to carry out work or offering to do work unannounced.”
For more information see:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/common-scams/
Contact information
If you are a member of the public with a general question about the council please view the contact information on our website or call 020 7527 2000.