13
Mar
2013
By Calvin at 14:44 GMT, 13 years ago
Herefordshire is in the news again, this time because rogue traders, otherwise known as thieves, fraudsters and scum of the earth, have been operating across the county offering to carry out home maintenance at ridiculously inflated prices. And, of course, the work often doesn’t need doing, but if it does it is carried out to an appallingly low standard, if at all.
This time an elderly lady handed over £10,000 for some ‘home maintenance’ work (the police article doesn’t say what, exactly) and it was only when the lady went to withdraw a further £4,000 from her bank that the matter became known to the police. Fortunately a member of staff at the bank (who’s hand should be shaken with some vigour) realised something was amiss and advised the lady to urgently seek some advice.
These despicable, contemptible and loathsome criminals deliberately target elderly people, and as the weather begins to improve and people start thinking about house maintenance these leeches will be knocking on people’s doors at an even greater frequency.
If you have an elderly neighbour whom you fear might fall prey to these scumbags please keep an eye out for them. They will invariably be driving around in a large pick-up or a large van with a ladder or two, and there are usually at least two of them. They’ll tell you you’ve got a slipped tile or a faulty gutter or maybe they’ll say they’ve got some tarmac left over from a job and would you like them to tarmac your drive – you know the sort!
There’s lots of advice on this website about this problem; just click on the links below. And there’s a handy A4 size ‘No Cold Callers’ notice you can print off and position on or close to your door – or your elderly neighbour’s door.
This is one crime where we can really help each other
Keep ‘em peeled!
No Cold Calling Zones and Doorstep Selling: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/personal-security/697/no-cold-calling-zones-and-doorstep-selling/
Print off a ‘No Uninvited Traders’ sign: http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/media/pdf/4/r/nocoldcallersv2.pdf
Bogus Callers: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/personal-security/633/bogus-callers-distraction-burglary/
Original Story from West Mercia Police: http://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/news-articles/warning-over-rogue-traders-offering-home-maintenance-herefordshire.html
