False Contractors: Buyer Beware!
Announcement posted by DesignBuild Source 31 Jul 2012
In many parts of Canada, scams which involve fraudsters posing as building andconstructioncontractors are a problem for residential and commercial property owners.
The latest known incident of this type of activity occurred in Hamilton, Ontario, on a road which saw construction work completed last year.
According to an official statement from the City, a business owner was approached by a ‘contractor’, who falsely implied that his company was contracted to undertake work as part of ongoing construction work, asking the business owner for an upfront payment as a deposit for the work.
“The contractor told the business owner that their driveway would need to be removed for the construction work and the property owner would be responsible for the cost of materials to replace the driveway once the work was completed,” the City’s statement read.
The statement went on to state the City had no affiliation with the so-called contractor.
“Before any construction project begins, the City’s protocol is to deliver...