NEW BRITAIN, CT (WFSB) – The Better Business Bureau is warning about fake roofers scouring Connecticut neighborhoods. John Orkney of New Britain says he was scammed out of $78,000.
Orkney still remembers where he was standing in early July when men claiming to work for Tecta America asked him to look at his roof.
“I was standing somewhere near the road,” Orkney said. “I said, ‘Okay, go over and look at it.'”
The men claimed they found termites and numerous other damages.
“They manage to make you panic. ‘Oh, your house is falling down. There’s danger because the wood is so rotten. You have termites. You have to do something.’ They make you panic, and when you panic, you can’t think straight,” Orkney said.
Orkney says he was pressured to sign papers that day, and over the course of three checks, he gave them $78,000.
“I’ve always had a suspicion and ignored it,” Orkney said. “You can’t ignore it when you have a feeling, a hunch that something is wrong. You should pay attention and check it out.”
When the workers later disappeared, Orkney began making calls and learned that the men had nothing to do with Tecta America. He reported the scam to the Better Business Bureau and the New Britain Police Department.
Tecta America provided the BBB with the following statement:
“It’s a disgrace what criminals do to defraud innocent consumers of their hard-earned money. Tecta America reminds everyone to stay vigilant and do their homework when vetting contractors. Never pay deposits or send money up front without proper documentation and due diligence.”
Kristen Johnson of BBB Serving Connecticut says this type of roofing scam seems to pop up every summer.
“I think the $78,000 down payment was a big red flag. When you invest that much money in a home improvement project, you want to get three quotes, and in writing,” Johnson said.
Johnson says the scammers are often not on site and are long gone by the time the scam is reported.
Orkney now sees everything that is wrong with the paperwork he signed. A proper contract should include the contractor’s registration number, give a start and end date, and be signed by the contractor. None of this is in his paperwork.
Orkney says he will be fine financially, but the situation has affected his attitude towards himself.
“At my age, I’m not able to cope with such trauma. It’s hard. I feel like I’ve lost credibility even with myself. I was betrayed. I thought I was a reasonable guy. I thought this couldn’t happen to me. It happened so easily,” Orkney said.
Orkney hopes that sharing the signs he missed can help others spot the scam before signing a check.
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