Households have been urged to be vigilant of a scam currently doing the rounds in which fraudsters claim to be able to tackle mould problems.
Trading Standards said that it has received reports of cold-callers targeting deprived areas, offering 'free' surveys to check for mould before pressuring householders into paying 'admin fees' of between £50 and £250. However, the fraudsters then failed to return to carry out the work they promised to do, leaving people out of pocket and with no way to contact them to get their money back.
In other cases, the scammers have charged households excessive sums amounting to thousands of pounds for unnecessary 'mould-proofing' work, including installing spray foam insulation. The work was found to be of such poor quality that in some cases it ended up affecting a property's mortgage-ability.
READ MORE: Warning over 'advance fee' scam that could leave you hundreds of pounds out of pocket
In one case, a retired teacher narrowly avoided being scammed out of a staggering £7,000 by cold-callers who claimed they had found toxic mould in her attic. The fraudsters pressured her into taking out a loan online to pay for the work, but luckily her bank were suspicious that it was a scam and blocked the transaction.
Householders have also been warned not to respond to texts or phone calls from people who claim to be able to carry out toxic mould surveys, another tactic used by the scammers. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) lead officer for doorstep crime, Katherine Hart, said: “Don’t engage with anyone at the door, and never invite a cold-caller into your home.
“If you are thinking about installing energy-efficiency or anti-damp measures in your home, make sure you check that the company you use is fully accredited and you know where to reach them if you need to. Similarly, never respond to offers of home repair work you receive via text or phone – in most cases these are sent by scammers seeking to steal money or personal details.”
(CTSI) chief executive John Herriman added: “As people worry about their energy bills during the cost-of-living crisis, many are cutting back on heating, which can lead to problems with damp and condensation. By cashing in on people’s legitimate concerns about mould and energy efficiency, scammers continue to plumb the depths of cynicism.
“They are exploiting elderly residents, parents, and anybody they think they can trick into handing over money under false pretences. Trading standards will continue to work to ensure that front doors will always remain closed to scammers, and those responsible for scams are brought to justice.”
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