MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — The Middletown Police Department issued a warning to residents after seeing an uptick in door-to-door scams.
Police say scammers approach homeowners as legitimate contractors having business cards or company clothes to appear authentic.
According to police, the scammers will point out repairs that homeowners need to make with a sense of urgency trying to pressure homeowners to pay money upfront but won’t complete the work. Officers say they may start the work offering “same day results” but will disappear after getting paid.
The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection says these scams are common across the state. Officials say scammers will often target homeowners dealing with storm damage.
“Homeowners are understandably in a rush to get things fixed, and, you know, they want to go with someone that comes to their door makes it easy for them, but you can save yourself considerable time and headache if you just stop and do a little research first,” said DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli.
City leaders say they have seen this before and advise residents to not do business deals on their doorsteps.
“You see these events that happen when people pretend to be something they're not ware costumes to do home invasions. They're showing up, put a traffic vest on or FedEx uniform, and they're not when they're not that. It's not really comfortable, (to) do business at your front doorstep like that, especially under pressure,” said Anthony Gennaro, deputy minority leader of the Middletown Common Council.
Sign up for the FOX61 newsletters: Morning Forecast, Morning Headlines, Evening Headlines
DCP says there are red flags people can look out for.
“Never trust anyone who asks you to pay all of it upfront or use any type of untraceable form of payment. They oftentimes use high pressure tactics that will get you to kind of lock in; they'll offer you a lower rate for a day or that afternoon or to sign kind of on the spot,” said Cafferelli.
He also advises that homeowners search the CT Judicial Portal to see if their contractor is facing any lawsuits, and never pay without doing research and having a signed contract.
Cafferelli told FOX61 that reputable home repair contractors must register with the state, and that comes with some added protections.
“If something should go wrong, and you get a judgment against the contractor. We are able to make the homeowner whole up to $25,000 and then go after that individual,” said Cafferell.
Gennaro told residents if they see someone going door to door, it never hurts to reach out to local police to make sure.
“Don't be afraid to call and talk to them and get some information, and if you do see that, report it just to make sure that it is legit or not legit,” said Gennaro.
You can search the state’s License, Permit, Certification, or Registration database here.
If you feel you have been scammed, you can file a complaint with the Department of Consumer Protection.
----
Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.