HOME IMPROVEMENT Scam artists: 1st sign of spring?

Police remind people to use common sense when dealing with home improvement offers.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The arrival of spring often marks the beginning of home improvement season in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys and the annual risk of door-to-door fraud artists.
Arriving with the proposition of house repair at a low cost, or as part of a so-called special program, many promises made by these fly-by-night contractors are often too good to be true.
"Every spring we hear stories about people giving $1,000 to someone who came to their door and offered to fix a roof," said Tom Connolly, president of the Western Pennsylvania chapter of the Better Business Bureau. "Then they never heard from that contractor again."
Connolly's BBB chapter also oversees complaints in Lawrence and Mercer counties.
Bogus sealant: Capt. Robert Kane, chief of detectives for the Youngstown Police Department, said the two repairs most often targeted by con artists are roofs and driveways.
"Every spring we get reports of people paying money to have their roof or driveway sealed by someone who just showed up at their door," Kane said. "They're told by these contractors that their roof is going to start leaking if they don't pay to have this liquid sprayed on it."
So many homeowners agree to pay these individuals outrageous fees up front for the work but get little in return, Kane said.
"I've seen where [con artists] have put a black watery liquid on the driveway that has no sealant at all and it washes away with the first rain. Others just take the money and leave," Kane said.
Prime time: With most homeowners attempting to avoid repairs during the cold of the winter months, these contractors begin hitting the streets at the first sign of spring, looking for houses they say are in need of work.
"This is usually the season when you'll start hearing about them," Connolly said. "Once the weather breaks, contractors start rolling up. Anyone with a truck and a ladder can drive around and pose as a contractor."
Often sporting unmarked pickup trucks with out-of-state license plates, the door-to-door contractors look to take advantage of the homeowner's desire to save money.
"They often see people out working on their houses and just come up and offer you a really good deal," said Debbie Rodgers, senior trade practice specialist for the Mahoning Valley Better Business Bureau. "The weather has kept them in so far this year, but they should start soon."
Although anyone can be a target, many elderly homeowners are often susceptible to the frauds, Connolly said.
Warning signs: Many of these door-to-door contractors leave notices on doorknobs that make misleading references to either the contractor's being someone in the neighborhood or the homeowner's being eligible for government financing. Yet often the only contact information that the notices contain is an 800 number, Connolly said.
"There is no special program. It should really be common sense," Connolly said. "If someone comes up to you with no references, no name, no business address -- just a phone number -- then there's something wrong there. You'll never be able to get a hold of them, if need be, to get your money back unless you know who and where they are.
"And when you do hire a contractor, make sure you draw up a complete contract and be specific," Connolly said. "If you're having a window put in, say what kind of window it is. Is it a single pane, a double pane? Make sure it is all in there."
Kane said by the time the police are notified about unscrupulous contractors or con artists, the individuals have already moved on, making it difficult to locate and arrest them.