Citizens Advice has issued a warning to homeowners across the UK after its annual review found a growing number of households are being scammed out of thousands of pounds by rogue roofers for non-existent problems and phantom repairs. The charity's consumer service said suspected roofing scams made up 10% of complaints about goods or services flagged as fraudulent over the last year.
A "shocking" one in four of all the roofing complaints it received in the same period were suspected scams. Consumers reported so-called traders disappearing with their money, being tricked into paying for work that had not been done, damage or issues being invented, aggressive sales tactics, demands for payment that left them feeling intimidated and being grossly overcharged.
Doorstep tactics in 77% of scams
The charity found fraudsters used doorstep sales tactics in three quarters (77%) of suspected roofing scams. One woman, aged 65, who lives alone in the North East, told the charity's advisory service: "I was afraid - there were two men at my door in the dark, demanding money and making it clear they weren't moving." She said she was targeted by rogue roofers last winter after posting an ad on an online platform asking for help to fix a dripping sound from her gutters when it rained.
Straight after posting the ad, she answered the phone to two men who said they could come that day to service and repair the gutters for £250. "They came at 4pm and went to the back of the house with lamps and ladders," she explained. "They rang the door 20 minutes later, and said water was splashing out of the gutters and damaging the wood underneath the roof - that I needed 'eave protection' or the rain would cause more damage."
"They said they could do the work now for £2,500, and that other companies would charge me almost double. They said I should do it because it was very rainy and the rain would damage my house more, so I agreed." The woman continued: "An hour later they said it was sorted, but they'd found another problem. They showed me a little bucket full of cement, saying it was crumbling under the tiles and there would be leaks if I didn't get it sorted now."
Victim pays £3,500 after intimidation
"I was afraid - two men in front of me in the dark, demanding money and making it clear they weren't moving. They knew I was alone; I didn't feel like I could deal with anything that might happen after, so I paid £3,500." The next day there was no trace that any work was done. "I felt stupid, and tried to contact them, but couldn't get through."
Citizens Advice, Trading Standards and the Financial Ombudsman Service eventually helped her to secure a refund from her bank, and she also received £800 in compensation from the online platform she used to post the ad. She was told the traders were previously expelled from the site but had re-registered under a different name and address, and had scammed other people in the area.
Officials urge thorough checks
Citizens Advice chief executive Dame Clare Moriarty said: "Poor quality work is an issue in the roofing sector. But there's a difference between a roofer who does a shoddy job and a scammer who commits a calculated crime - designed solely to extort money from homeowners."
"Scammers exploit the fact that roofs are out of sight and reach, knowing most people can't easily inspect the work themselves," she added. "Our advisers help thousands of people caught out by roofing scams each year. With the impacts often devastating - leaving people thousands of pounds out of pocket - we're urging consumers to make thorough checks before agreeing to building work."
National Trading Standards chairman Lord Michael Bichard said: "Roofing fraud is a particularly cruel crime because it turns the place where people should feel safest - their own home - into a source of fear." "Criminals invent urgent problems that are difficult for homeowners to verify, then use intimidation and pressure to extract thousands of pounds," he added. "Victims can lose life savings in a matter of hours and be left with damaged homes, financial hardship and a profound sense of vulnerability long after the criminals have gone.
"These are not simply traders doing a bad job. They are criminals deliberately preying on people in their own homes, and we are determined to bring them to justice." Lord Bichard continued: "Recent sentences following one of our most significant roofing fraud investigations show the consequences can be severe. Anyone who uses fear and deception to exploit homeowners should be in no doubt that Trading Standards will pursue you and you can expect to pay a heavy price."
