News and Headlines

Actions

Fake roofers trick their way into couple's home

Posted at
and last updated

INDIANAPOLIS – A pair of fake contractors ripped off an east-side couple, and they're sharing their story in hopes that it doesn't happen to you.

They say it all started Wednesday night when they opened their door to two men who claimed to be contractors who wanted to sell the couple a warranty on their roof.

They came inside and one man brought the couple to the back of the house. The couple eventually told the man they weren’t interested in a warranty and asked the pair to leave.

Half an hour later, the wife – whom we are not naming due to safety – says she noticed her purse was missing from the kitchen counter.

She says the second man stole it while the couple dealt with the first fake contractor.

The men got away with credit cards, prescriptions, a checkbook, the keys to their kids’ house and more. As the 77-year-old puts it, half her life was in there.

“(I’m) mostly upset and thinking, ‘What (are) two nice guys like they look like doing this?’” the woman said. “They should be out looking for a job instead of trying to steal money from old people.”

The couple says the fake contractors were in their 20s, clean-cut, and had a clipboard. They seemed legitimate.

“I’d like to smack them,” she said.

A local roofing company tells RTV6 it would make no sense for a roofer to offer service on a roof they have never inspected or dealt with before. Also, real contractors would never come after 8 p.m. when it’s dark outside.

“They’re going to present things like their business card up front,” Better Business Bureau spokesman Tim Maniscalo said. “They’re also going to have a car or truck that’s marked with their company name.”

-----

Follow Mike Pelton on Twitter: @mikepeltonrtv6