North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper is warning elderly homeowners of a scam involving home repairs.

According to a press release from Cooper’s office, members of a home repair fraud ring broken up by authorities in the 1990s are out of jail and appear to be back to their old tricks. 

The release said the group was very active throughout the state. They scammed hundreds of elderly homeowners out of as much as $50,000 to $100,000 each for unnecessary repairs, before local, state, and federal law enforcement stopped them.

The release stated that Cooper’s office had heard of two Raleigh homeowners who lost several thousand dollars to these criminals in recent weeks. Local authorities are investigating those incidents.

The release went on to state that the telltale signs that a homeowner is being scammed by these criminals include:

• Unmarked trucks frequently parked out front
• Contractors who suddenly leave when a visitor comes over
•  Several screw-jacks mounted under the first floor of the home
• Wooden 2” by 4” braces mounted between the attic floor and roof support
• New shingles on a roof that wasn’t showing any signs of damage, and
• Thousands of dollars in checks made out to individual crew members. 

The release states that if you or someone you know may be a victim of this home repair fraud ring, report it to local law enforcement and building code officials immediately.  To file a complaint with our office, call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM toll-free within NC or visit www.ncdoj.gov.