There has been an increase of sale scams that are leaving people with poorly done renovations, liens or a mortgage.
Fraudsters will come to your door, or call by phone to persuade you into a new appliance, contract or service for your home.
If you agree to the services or appliances they offer, they will tell you that you qualify for a grant but it’s actually a mortgage. The funds will be deposited into your account and you’ll be told it’s only for the services or renovations.
You can protect yourself and loved ones by answering your door only if you are expecting an invited guest. Do not allow unsolicited visitors into your home and hang up on unsolicited phone calls.
Never share personal information or copies of any bills or financial statements and never make a decision on the spot. Do not sign blank documents: take the time to understand what you are signing and ask questions.
Do not answer questions on a phone or video call if you are being told the answers by someone else (if someone is telling you to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’).
Check up regularly on family or others who might be vulnerable to persuasive and persistent individuals. You can also talk to the bank about a vulnerable loved one to prevent suspicious withdrawals
Understand NO renovations are free. Ask yourself: why has this person offered to help and how do they know your situation?
Consider checking your credit history online and look up your property on the Land Registry Ontario website.
Installing video cameras around your home or video capturing doorbells are useful tools.
There are also a few red flags to look out for when it comes to over the phone and door-to-door sales.
The person visiting you will say you have won a class-action lawsuit regarding the installation of your equipment and the money can only be used towards renovations to your home.
You are told your home is now a ‘green home’ after the installation of some equipment and therefore you qualify for a grant. A condition of the grant is that you can only use the money to do renovations or add more equipment.
A financial company may approaches you, unsolicited, indicating they can help you get out of payments or to consolidate your debt.
They tell you renovations are free but won’t let you have input on the renovations they do or what materials they use. They will also pressure you to have renovations started right away.
Renovations in these frauds have included: flooring, painting, smart thermostats, vanities, sinks, toilets, showers, kitchens cabinets and insulation. They are usually poor quality and are left unfinished.
If you believe you have become a victim of fraud, contact your local police service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 (toll-free) or report online on the Fraud Reporting System (FRS). You can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or report the incident online at www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
