Rogue traders targeting elderly residents in Guisborough, councillor warns
A Guisborough councillor has raised the alarm over doorstep scammers preying on vulnerable residents with fake emergencies and excessive charges.
Guisborough residents warned as doorstep fraudsters target elderly and vulnerable
Guisborough residents are being urged to stay alert following multiple reports of rogue traders and doorstep scammers operating across the town, darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk reports.
Councillor Julie Hart, who represents Hutton Ward, issued the warning after receiving several accounts from residents about suspected fraudsters approaching people at their homes.
The callers are alleged to be targeting elderly and vulnerable individuals in particular, using high-pressure tactics, fabricated scare stories and inflated charges to secure payment for work.
Among the incidents reported to Hart was a claim that one trader told homeowners their roofs were at risk of imminent collapse, using this as leverage to convince them to pay for costly emergency repairs. Other residents reportedly paid hundreds of pounds for minor tasks — such as weeding driveways — with little or no work completed before payment was demanded.
Hart said she had also been told of cases in which traders requested money upfront, then left jobs unfinished or failed to carry out any work at all.
"These doorstep callers are actively preying on vulnerable and elderly members of our community, using aggressive high-pressure tactics, fake emergencies and extortionate prices," Hart said.
The councillor is urging locals to speak with elderly relatives, friends and neighbours about the risks posed by unsolicited doorstep traders. Residents should not agree to any work without first verifying that a trader is legitimate.
Hart added that reputable tradespeople should always be willing to provide written quotes, giving customers time to consider the offer and check relevant qualifications or trade credentials before committing to any payment.
Residents are under no obligation to answer the door to unsolicited callers.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted by rogue traders, or who has concerns about suspicious activity in their area, is advised to contact Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. Those who feel threatened or intimidated should call police immediately.
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)