Niagara Regional Police Warning the Public About a Potential Roofing Scam

With the warmer weather upon the region, major outdoor projects start to take priority.  Many residents use this time to make repairs to their homes and properties.  In the past there have been many scams for driveway repairs by fly-by-night or illegitimate companies.  These companies use high pressure sales and scare tactics to lure would be clients into agreeing to a contract.  The scammers then either do not complete the work, use subpar materials or pressure clients into further “emergency” work that is often not needed.

Recently, there have been reports of a similar scam in the roofing industry.  Companies that appear to be real come door to door and use high pressure tactics to get people to agree to have “necessary” or “emergency” repairs to their roofs.  A price is quoted and a down payment is requested and made.  The company then states that the job is much bigger than what was first believed and demand an astronomically high amount to “fix” the roof.  Residents feel pressure to comply because now their roof is off and/or covered with a tarp.

The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) Central Fraud Unit recommends that homeowners who are looking for work to be done ask for a written quote. That written quote should include.

• An itemized list of materials to be used
• The cost of the items
• The estimated time of the project
• The cost of labour for the time estimated
• The name of the company and/or the company’s registered business number
• Contact information for the company

The Central Fraud Unit then suggests that residents take that list and call around to two or three other companies to see how that compares to the original quote.

A company may claim that emergency work needs to be done and may even show photos to explain what they mean, but residents should know that they can have the work paused and still obtain a second opinion at that point.

Not every company is out to scam people.  Residents should know that agreeing to a contract could be binding, so having a few quotes before agreeing to any one contract will go a long way to having peace of mind that the job is being done right and on time.

If you believe you have been the victim of fraudulent work, contact the Niagara Regional Police Service at 905-688-4111, to file a report.

Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information that leads to an arrest.