South Lanarkshire Council has cautioned residents over smoke alarm scams.
The council posted the information earlier today warning people to be cautious of those pretending to work for the local authority.
The warning comes after a male in the Uddingston area approached an elderly woman in her home, claiming to be from the council and requesting to check her smoke alarm.
He claimed to have received a letter.
The woman, who had no letter, refused to let him inside her home and then proceeded to contact the council.
SLC have confirmed that they are not sending out people to check on smoke alarms.
The scam comes after changes made in legislation about fire and smoke alarms – the new law requires all domestic properties in Scotland to have the same level of smoke detection.
In an advice statement, SLC wrote: “We want to warn people to be on the lookout for scammers and rogue traders taking advantage of the changes.
“You’ll probably start receiving leaflets, calls, and doorstep visits from companies offering their services to fit the new smoke and fire alarms – some of them may try to pressure you into having work done.”
They have advised:
- - Don’t accept the first quote you’re given – get 3 quotes for work and do plenty of research on the company before going ahead.
- - If you sign up on the phone, online, or in your home, you will have 14 days to change your mind about the work.
- - Your cancellation rights, along with all associated costs, timescales, and the nature of the work should be outlined in a written contract, which you should be given a copy of.
- Check our Buy With Confidence list of trusted traders for a suitable company first.
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