Hundreds of Leicestershire residents fell victim to rogue traders last year – how to stay safe

Hundreds of Leicestershire residents have been conned by rogue traders in the past 12 months. Those who were wronged by the scams lost almost £3m between them.

A fake “worker” climbed onto a resident’s roof to work, only to be seen by neighbors simply sitting up there smoking. The person then charged the homeowner “a large sum of money for the privilege without having carried out any work”, a spokesman for Leicestershire County Council said.

Other cases reported to the council revealed a pattern of traders entering residents’ attics and then showing them a picture of gaps in the tiles to “scare consumers into thinking they need roof replacement”, the spokesman added. However, the photo would not be of the householder’s roof.

READ MORE: Leicestershire Police officer ‘deliberately’ accessed confidential information on force computers

The authority’s trading standards team today revealed it received 217 reports of scams between Friday 31 March 2023 and Monday 1 April 2024. It has now issued a warning and advice to people to help them avoid falling prey to scammers.

The team said the most common drawbacks reported were door-to-door offers for roofing and chimney work or road repairs. Rogue tradespeople “will knock on doors unannounced and claim to have spotted damage, before offering to take a free look as they have just completed a job nearby and have all the equipment with them,” the council added.

Trading Standards appeals to residents to refuse any such approaches and not “feel pressured to take immediate action”. The approach might come with offers of “incentives or discounts”, but the suggested work might actually be unnecessary, and even though the quotes may be “low initially”, the rogue trader could “drastically increase the price once the work has started”, a added the team.

The team recommends:

• If a trader starts to get ‘pushy’ or residents feel pressured, close the door and call the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency

• Watch out for your neighbors – if they seem uncomfortable with traders, call the police to check on them.

• Get at least three independent quotes and never settle for anything on the doorstep

• Always check reviews and do your research on the tradesman before agreeing to have work done

• Pay by card or check, not cash

• Merchants should always offer a 14-day cooling-off period

Councilor Deborah Taylor, Leicestershire County Council’s cabinet member for regulatory services, said: “Our Trading Standards team will act on complaints where there appears to be a pattern of unfair trading and fraud. Officers will undertake investigations where there is substantial loss to consumers. Let this be a warning to all cold callers offering home improvements targeting vulnerable consumers that Leicestershire Trading Standards will investigate such complaints as we have a duty to protect the public and legitimate law abiding businesses.”