Drainage work scam warning

[admin]

Lewisham Council is warning residents to be wary of a new scam where a fake ‘new’ resident claims essential drainage work needs to be carried out at an adjoining property.

Typically the fraudsters visit the legitimate resident posing as new neighbours claiming that there is a problem with their own drains, caused in part by the residents’ drain.
The resident is then asked for their telephone number so that a drainage company can call them to sort out the problem.

After doing so, the resident then receives a call from a bogus company asking for money to help pay for the hire of equipment – sometimes with an assurance that this money will be refunded after the job has been completed.

The resident is then asked to make payment either by bank transfer or to pay a courier who is sent round to collect the money.

Trading Standards are advising residents that if they receive such a visit or telephone call they should not pay any money or agree to any work and should report any suspicious activity to the Police on the non-emergency number, 101.

[Eagle]

If people made a point of knowing their neighbours hard to think how this would suceed.

[Annie]

You are so right Eagle,
but unfortunately that is in the past, there are far too many changes of neighbours in "Let" properties these days, a lot of them are the type that really couldnt give a damn where they live or who lives nearby,I am just about getting over the last 3 yrs of such neighbours.

Thanks for the warning though admin.

[Eagle]

I agree Anne times are a chnaging as Robert Zimmermann would have said.

I have moved twice in 4 years and in a matter of days new neighbours both sides plus next to them.

Surely we are a society not a load of individuals otherwise we are finished.

[mosy]

Going back to the original message, I was visited by the council to see which main drains my waste and others' waste drained into. There was further an official notice of who was responsible for what from now on.

The scam as described seems to have nothing to do with neighbours or new owners/tenants, just someone (scammer) trying to pretend it has. As with most scams, the intention would be to pray on the vulnerable. Can only alert those who might be taken in and tell them to keep their wallet and cheque book in their pocket.

[newbrit]

If there is a problem with the adjoining property, I would contact the owner of the property not the occupants. And as a rule, I do not give my home phone number to people I do'n know...