Is This A Scam?

[oioi727]

Hi All,

I have a builder who is willing to do me a new roof over my carport area and garage, all plastering inside, insulation, electrics and guttering for the huge price of zero.

Let me explain some background info:

1) We met on facebook, and have been chatting for about 8 weeks on and off, we have got pretty close and he seems genuine, sent me pics of his grandson and partner, his dgos, of himself etc.

He appears to live locally and I have spoken to him on the phone.

His facebook e.g. area's he has been to in the uk such as Manchester e.t.c matches his job description and locations.

He was going to pop round mine and give me a quote but a death in the family prevented him coming down. Instead his foreman will pop down and look at my job and get the details.

Has anyone heard of any such scams?

For the life of me trying to understand what the scam would be?


His reason for giving me the job initially with free materials is because he does lots of jobs and has lots of surplus stuff. He now offering me free as he want to take before and after pics so he can bid on a huge contract with another firm.

He is loaded and has taken a shine to me etc.....

Advice please, even though I strongly believe its a scam, "if it's too good to be true, it probably is" - a tiny part of me wants to believe their are still some good people left in this world. I have no problem paying him as long as the price is right.

 

[HERTS P&D]

SCAM SCAM SCAM!!

This is a con.

Andy

 

[oioi727]

Hi Andy, any idea what the scam is?

 

[xr4x4]

No idea if a scam or not, but are you male or female?

 

[oioi727]

male

 

[cajar]

he didnt' get loaded by working for free.

 

[foxhole]

Try googling the pics he sent, if he took them from the web you should be able to find them.

 

[jj4091]

I think the old adage about sounding too good to be true applies here, though I too cannot work out what the scam would be unless he is going to use your address for some dodgy deal or try to move a family of immigrant squatters in.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Also, Goggle his phone number and see what comes up. If nothing comes up then that means it is a pay as you go mobile with no history from advertising.

Andy

 

[Dextraneous]

I think the scam is referred to as "casing the joint"

 

[EightyTwo]

Rule zero (before rule 1): NEVER hand over any money in any way to anybody or anything until the work is finished and you are satisfied. Pay by credit card if you can.

Ask him for references - other jobs that he has done. Contact the people and see what they say. Go and look at the work. Of course, these references may be bogus too...

I think Jj4091 has rule one...

I listen to "You and Yours" a lot on BBC R4 but I haven't heard about a scam like this.

 

[doitall]

Somethings going on thats for certain.

Send the foreman at his expense.

Couple of weeks in he'll be pleading poverty and asking if you can loan him a few grand to bide him over, then a bit more and a bit more, and he'll disappear and you still haven't a clue who they are.

 

[Waxie]

There are a lot of scams about unfortunately.

 

[terrypin]

Gains your trust, admiration and friendship...........you think he's successful as he kindly sent his foreman to look at the work.

He quotes you happy but states he will need cash up front to keep costs down, he is doing YOU a favour after all.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck etc.

Stay clear.

All IMHO.

 

[cajar]

the "foreman" has been the one that's talking to you on Facebook, using someone else's details to gain your trust. of course mystery man can never quite make it round. then afterwards if you meet the foreman in tesco he just says mystery man disappeared and owes him wages as well.