PALOS PARK, IL — With the past weekend’s brief hail storm and more severe weather predicted later this week, police are warning Palos Park residents about increased reports of roofing scammers working the area.
These storm chasing “subcontractors” follow severe weather. They go door to door, approaching homeowners about roof damage and offering free inspections. With bids too low to be true, the scammers will ask for a down payment, usually a couple of thousand dollars, and disappear. If they do start the job, they’ll leave homeowners with unfinished or shoddy work.
Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk said he received such a call Tuesday morning, from a man who claimed to be from a Chicago roofing company. The caller told Polk that he had already scheduled appointments with his neighbors on Post Road. He asked if Polk would be interested in a free roof inspection looking for potential damage.
Three things bothered me,” Polk told Patch. “First, the hail storm wasn’t that bad. He used jargon designed to get you to believe what he’s saying. And he’s coming to Palos Park for scheduled visits on Polk Road.”
As soon as Polk told the caller that he was the police commissioner, the caller hung up. “I put up a quick PSA on social media,” he said.
Ruse burglary expert Sgt. Diane Campbell, of the Palos Park Police Department, offered these tips of what to look for in a scammer:
- Demand payment in advance. A dishonest contractor will insist you pay them up front before they begin work. But the contractor disappears and never completes or even starts the job.
- Exaggerated damage. The contractor will overstate, exaggerate or lie about the extent of the damage in a ploy to over bill you or your insurance company. In some cases, they might create more damage, so they can ring up a bigger bill.
- Lowball bids – Scammers will come in with an offer much lower than other contractors, or may claim they’re running a “special hail deal.” These offers are usually too good to be true.