TEESSIDE SCAFFOLDER
Well-known member
Bank manager foils bogus builder scam on Cheam pensioner
3:21pm Monday 27th June 2011
An alert bank manager has prevented an elderly woman from being charged thousands of pounds by a bogus builder.
The woman, aged 81, who suffers from confusion and mini stokes, told bank staff on Monday, June 20,that she wanted the money for a deposit for gutter clearing. But the manager of the HSBC at The Broadway, Cheam, called police because he was concerned about the cost of this work.
The customer told police she’d been visited at her house by two men who had gone into every room knocking on walls and outlining improvement work. They quoted £2,960 for gutter clearing. In addition, the men had indicated that further work would need doing and that she would have to pay for ordering ‘a machine’. They said they would return to collect the money.
But after discussing the matter with officers, the customer decided not to make the withdrawal.
When a team of scaffolders arrived at her home police were present. The scaffolders told police that they had been contacted by an unknown ‘builder’ about putting up scaffolding at the address - presumably in advance of some building work. The scaffolders were concerned for the resident and cleared her front and rear gutters for free. They then agreed a fair price for the scaffolding to be erected at the side of the property to clear the guttering there.
Sgt Tracy Costello, of the Cheam Safer Neighbourhoods Team, thanked the bank manager for contacting police because his actions may have stopped a vulnerable customer being ripped off by a ‘bogus’ builder who may have charged a large amount for doing very little, or no work.
She said :“We want bank staff to contact police when an elderly customer withdraws an unusually large amount of cash to what they would normally withdraw. It could be that the customer is being pressured into a purchase, such as building work,” she said.
Sutton Council has a directory to help residents identify reputable traders. Called the Safer Sutton Trader Scheme, the directory is available online at London Borough of Sutton: Main Home Page Click on 'Safer Sutton Trader Scheme' under Useful Links.
3:21pm Monday 27th June 2011
An alert bank manager has prevented an elderly woman from being charged thousands of pounds by a bogus builder.
The woman, aged 81, who suffers from confusion and mini stokes, told bank staff on Monday, June 20,that she wanted the money for a deposit for gutter clearing. But the manager of the HSBC at The Broadway, Cheam, called police because he was concerned about the cost of this work.
The customer told police she’d been visited at her house by two men who had gone into every room knocking on walls and outlining improvement work. They quoted £2,960 for gutter clearing. In addition, the men had indicated that further work would need doing and that she would have to pay for ordering ‘a machine’. They said they would return to collect the money.
But after discussing the matter with officers, the customer decided not to make the withdrawal.
When a team of scaffolders arrived at her home police were present. The scaffolders told police that they had been contacted by an unknown ‘builder’ about putting up scaffolding at the address - presumably in advance of some building work. The scaffolders were concerned for the resident and cleared her front and rear gutters for free. They then agreed a fair price for the scaffolding to be erected at the side of the property to clear the guttering there.
Sgt Tracy Costello, of the Cheam Safer Neighbourhoods Team, thanked the bank manager for contacting police because his actions may have stopped a vulnerable customer being ripped off by a ‘bogus’ builder who may have charged a large amount for doing very little, or no work.
She said :“We want bank staff to contact police when an elderly customer withdraws an unusually large amount of cash to what they would normally withdraw. It could be that the customer is being pressured into a purchase, such as building work,” she said.
Sutton Council has a directory to help residents identify reputable traders. Called the Safer Sutton Trader Scheme, the directory is available online at London Borough of Sutton: Main Home Page Click on 'Safer Sutton Trader Scheme' under Useful Links.
