Massachusetts Residents Could be at Risk of Roof Inspection Scam

Massachusetts is a few weeks into the spring season, which means many people are working on home projects.

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Spring cleaning, home repairs, and renovations are popular this time of year. My wife and I have a couple of spring-related projects currently taking place. We have been cleaning up the unfinished part of our basement. We're organizing and donating years of items that have built up that we don't use and/or need anymore. Everything from baby items to furniture, and even an old entertainment center from decades ago, are being moved out of our basement in favor of more space.

In addition to the basement project, we are also in the queue to have some dead trees removed from our backyard, including a dead pine tree that fell over and became uprooted a few weeks ago. Those are just some of the home improvement/spring cleaning projects we are currently working on.

You may be doing something similar to your home or property, like renovating your bathroom, or maybe you're finally getting that addition that has been on your wish list for years, or perhaps a new deck is in your future.

Whatever you are getting done to your home, it's important for your protection that you have a legitimate company doing the work. For those interested in getting a new roof, it's worth noting that the Better Business Bureau reports that there is a roof inspection scam going around.

Here's How the Scam Works According to the BBB: 

You receive a call, or someone shows up at the door claiming to represent a roofing company that is working in your area. The fake “roofer” offers a free inspection or an on-the-spot roof repair. Why, you ask? The person may claim that their company is working on a neighbor’s home and is offering inspections to those living nearby, or they just happened to notice your damaged roof. But if you ask questions about where the business is located or how their services work - if you're not dealing with an honest company, you’ll most likely be met with vague answers. If you are speaking on the phone to a con artist, they may hang up if pressed for more details.

In addition, if you accept the free inspection, the con artist may do some dishonest things to your roof to make it look like the damage is worse than it actually is. This is done in order to make you feel like you have to hire them for the roof repair or replacement.

This scam has the potential of happening anywhere in Massachusetts, whether it's Boston, Worcester, Springfield, or anywhere in between, so make sure you look for those red flags if a stranger offers to do some work to your roof. You can get more details, along with tips to protect yourself from this type of scam and a real example, by going here.