Fruitport Township Police Department is investigating a suspicious situation reported in the 300 block of Park Street in the Village of Fruitport.
A 93-year-old resident of the community reported a male subject initiated contact at the resident’s home. The resident did not know the male subject, and the contact was unsolicited by the resident. The male subject explained to the resident there was a crack in the roof of the home near the chimney and offered to repair the roof at a cost of $4700.00. The male subject tried to convince the resident to withdraw money from her bank and even offered to provide transportation to the bank to make the withdrawal. A family member intervened, and the male subject quickly left.
The male subject did not provide a written estimate for the repair, did not provide a business card or other literature, and did not offer information regarding whether he was a licensed contractor. This information suggests possible fraud.
In these types of scams, offenders typically target elderly victims because the elderly are unlikely to follow the offender onto the roof to inspect whether or not there is actually damage or the extent of damage.
Other residents of the Fruitport area who may have had similar unsolicited contacts of this nature are encouraged to contact Fruitport Township Police Department at (231) 865-8477. Tips about those engaging in contractor frauds can be called in directly to the police department or to Silent Observer at: (231) 72-CRIME.
The following suggestions are offered by police to avoid being scammed:
• Do not deal with unsolicited contractors who come to your home. Call police if you think the individual is engaged in possible fraud or may be casing your home.
• Deal with only reputable contractors – check with friends or family members to see who they have used for similar projects.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau for information about the company.
• Ask for references – and check them!
• Obtain written estimates (and/or a contract, if applicable) which specify the work to be done, the agreed upon price for the work, and the time frame in which the work will be completed.
• Obtain three or more estimates from different contractors – if there is a wide discrepancy, ask them to justify their price.
• Verify the contractor is properly licensed for those projects requiring a licensed contractor.
