Police are warning about unlicensed contractors who appear to be soliciting our elderly citizens to hire them for various residential projects such as power washing and painting homes and roofs, paving driveways, and performing auto body and mechanical repairs. ADVERTISING
Police are warning about unlicensed contractors who appear to be soliciting our elderly citizens to hire them for various residential projects such as power washing and painting homes and roofs, paving driveways, and performing auto body and mechanical repairs.
The scam surfaces when the unlicensed contractor offers his or her services to perform the work and asks for full payment, often claiming that material and supplies need to be purchased in advance.
The potential victim verbally agrees and often pays the subject, who completes only a portion of the agreed upon work and leaves, claiming that he or she will return later to complete the job.
The victim makes several attempts to contact the subject, who never returns to complete the job.
Police caution the public against agreeing to having residential improvements done without first conducting their own research. Consumers should ask for documents of identification from the individuals performing any work and only sign a written contract that specifies conditions of the project, including a deadline.
Anyone who may have been victimized in this type of scam is asked to call the police nonemergency line at 935-3311 or go to the nearest police station to file a complaint.
Consumers can also call the state Regulated Industries Complaints Office at 808-587-3222.
The RICO web address is http://hawaii.gov/dcca/rico/.
