Beware SCAM roofers/thieves operating in East Dulwich

[kc38]

Someone on our street was yesterday conned by a group of four men claiming to fix some guttering for ?10 - and before she knew it, surprise surprise, the price went up and up - she paid out ?2000 in cash in advance (yes, stupid I know)and they did a runner after getting their cash and ripping down some guttering (but not the extra ?1800 they wanted). Police are now involved.

The guys are knocking on doors (tried us first) and handing out false/meaningless leaflets with 'Protech Roofing' on the leaflet and are believed to be driving around in a silver Astra estate. One of them is a guy, around 30-ish, with red hair and an Irish accent. There was also an older guy, about 50,who had a black- and blue-checked lumber jacket.

As a touching gesture, the red-haired guy chatted with the lady, who has cancer, asking how she's getting on with her illness while he waited for his money to be delivered.

If you see them, call the police.

[uncleglen]

I think they are exploiting the presence of the builders permanently in the area because the Protech guy who came to my door 3 or 4 days ago said he was working with the builders down the road. He had an Irish accent too...

[JohnL]

I'd tweet to @ProTechUK saying what happened - if people are impersonating them.

[chuff]

I think I saw them yesterday on Desenfans road, if I see them again I'll report it

[Sue]

The price went up from ?10 to ?2000 and she paid it????

She paid ?2000 in advance for someone to fix guttering????

[kc38]

No, it wasn't just for the guttering - when the guy got up on the ladder, needless to say he found all sorts of non-existent problems with the roof. Typical roofing scam, and people can be gullible (particularly if they're relatively old and seriously ill). With credit to Barclays on Lordship Lane, the bank called the police when the lady came back, shortly after withdrawing ?2K, to get out an extra ?1.8K - presumably the bank had seen this before and knew what was happening. By then, the conmen had vanished.

[Angelina]

good on the bank.

[cella]

So she only paid ?10 - not ?2000 or ?200 as specified? Very lucky and major kudos to the bank.

[kc38]

No - she paid ?2000.......the bank called the police when she went back to get a further ?1,800 out (presumably because the price had gone up when she got back with the first lot of money), shortly after withdrawing the first lot. So the conmen got away with ?2000....CID is now looking into it

[handymaneast dulwich]

How do they sleep at night. Would love to find these guys!

[cella]

So she was going to give them ?3,800?!

[gkb]

They were around last year as well and did a similar scam. They said they would charge me ?50 to replace some missing tiles and they had noticed them as they were repairing a roof opposite - I did have missing tiles. The smooth talking chap then bought round three other guys who went up ladders and said they couldn't believe how my roof was still up as all the timbers were rotten and they did not think they would be able to leave it in a watertight state unless I paid them ?1,700. I said that was so weird as I had been up in the lost the previous day and there were no leaks or problems and I would check with my builder. I pretended to phone my pretend builder and surprise surprise they ran off.

[Beckie05]

I am posting because this is my mum and dad, sounds like they are stupid and naive but what u have to keep in mind is that my mum has been going through treatments for cancer since March, she has no hair, is week and frail and despite all this is coping well, these heartless idiots prayed on her situation and manipulated her to get what they wanted! My parent would normally be doing research getting 3 quotes etc...

I am so angry about this, the loss of money is annoying but the fact that he had the cheek to sit with my mum and ask her all about her cancer, was she expected to survive, what the chemotherapy had as side effects and what treatments she had left makes me feel physically sick!

I just hope that the police catch them before I do as I don't think I could control my actions! They entintial target people who are vunrable so please make others aware of the a##holes and stop them targeting others.

[lulabel]

This happened to our elderly neighbour yesterday on Herne Hill Rd. We have scaffolding up and some dodgy 'builders' knocked on her door and said they were had noticed problems with our job that might result in damage to her property if she didn't cough up. They wanted ?900 and said they'd come back to fix it once they had the correct machine. She only had ?300 so paid them that. We of course feel terribly guilty now and will repay some of the lost money.

She's so frail and elderly. There really are some nasty folk out there!

[Beckie05]

Do u think it is the same people?

[bil]

So sorry to hear about your mothers illness and that your parents were cheated out of significant sums of money. Also hope the criminals are caught!

Beckie05 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am posting because this is my mum and dad,

> sounds like they are stupid and naive but what u

> have to keep in mind is that my mum has been going

> through treatments for cancer since March, she has

> no hair, is week and frail and despite all this is

> coping well, these heartless idiots prayed on her

> situation and manipulated her to get what they

> wanted! My parent would normally be doing research

> getting 3 quotes etc...

>

> I am so angry about this, the loss of money is

> annoying but the fact that he had the cheek to sit

> with my mum and ask her all about her cancer, was

> she expected to survive, what the chemotherapy had

> as side effects and what treatments she had left

> makes me feel physically sick!

>

> I just hope that the police catch them before I do

> as I don't think I could control my actions! They

> entintial target people who are vunrable so please

> make others aware of the a##holes and stop them

> targeting others.

[jessasz]

Hi all,

My name is Jessica, I am a resident of East Dulwich and also a journalism student of City, University of London. I'm doing a little project on local issues going on in London and have just come across this scam on the forum. On a more personal note, my father and his young family are also Herne Hill residents and are in the process of doing the front of their house up making them very visible targets for a scam such as this (they have scaffolding up at the front of the house). I would like to warn my father about this scam and also potentially shed some light on this scam via the local newspaper as to warn others!

I would appreciate any physical description about the people running this scam, at what time they knock on doors, what exactly they claim is wrong with the properties, how much money they ask for, who they say they are etc etc. Any information would be helpful! Feel free to private message me, we can talk further via email/phone.

They sound like absolutely awful people. I really hope the police catches these guys. Stay say everyone!

[lpool]

I dealt with a similar case earlier this year. It is a criminal offence and if you see them then contact Southwark Trading Standards who will liaise with the police if necessary.

[maria24]

Yesterday my mum had the gardeners come

To do her garden, she gets it done free from the council. A man

Knocked at the door and my mum let him in because she

Thought he was one of the gardeners , she called him up to sit down as

She wasn't very well. He sat on one of the sofas and then said to my mum

I will sit next to you , which he did, he then asked my my mum for ?50

he said the machinery had broke down . My mum refused , the actual graders

Did knock on the door , I think that scared him and he left. The police were

Called and wrote a report. He was an Irish chap around 30 driving a silver connect

van with blue writing on , the garderners managed to get some of his number plate.

My mum is 82 years old , she's ok now just a bit shaken. So please be aware.

[Sean Of Dulwich]

hope these scum bags come knocking on my door

[Huggers]

Nutbrook Street has had a man with a ladder today offering to inspect and clean gutters for six quid. He was up my elderly neighbours roof and when he saw me chatting with him he asked me slightly aggressively 'is there a problem?'and when I asked what was his company as I might want my gutters inspecting (I didn't) he repeated 'is there a problem?' which I thought a bit strange if you wanted to get more work and get on with people. My neighbour said he wasn't interested, after the guy had pointed out that the flashing needed replacing and he left. He drove a silver kind of large pick up but one with a roof. he left a card.

[Angelina]

did he fit the descriptions posted above?

[Huggers]

About 30, white, clean shaven, short-fairing hair, not sure of accent

[maria24]

My mum said the guy was about 30 dark hair Irish accent

[uncleglen]

maria24 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> My mum said the guy was about 30 dark hair Irish

> accent

sounds like the one that knocked on my door with a professional looking card (the sort they might put through your door- not an I.D. card btw) for Protech... let's face it- the whole area is a bloody building site...all sorts will try it on