Veteran out $12,000 after issuing two checks to roofing company – but they never completed the job
After sending two checks to a roofing firm that never finished the project, a devastated veteran is now down $12,000.
The 88-year-old Herberts Melnalknis paid the company after a summer storm damaged his roof.
After leaving his native Latvia, the World War Two veteran served as an interpreter in the US military.
Melnalknis, who now resides in Omaha, Nebraska, was sent a brochure from DRJ Services, a roofing firm based in Iowa.
A company official knocked on his house and informed him that his roof needed to be repaired.
He gave the agent two cashier’s checks totaling over $12,000.
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The roof of Melnalknis, however, has not yet been altered.
Companies with the same initials should not be confused with DRJ Services Inc., which has an address in Bettendorf, Iowa.
“He said that they’re roofers,” Melnalknis told NBC affiliate WOWT, which is owned by Gray Television and is located in Omaha.
“I just want it done or the money back,” he replied.
“The insurance paid me and I paid them but now nothing is done.”
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Requests for response from The U.S. Sun were not answered by DRJ Services.
WOWT was informed by a representative that nothing had been dropped off yet, even though the materials were supposed to arrive on November 19.
He would need to seek permits and have a contractor’s license in Omaha to do it.
The city’s databases show that the corporation has neither.
Iowa DRJ Services does not have a Nebraska registration, according to the Nebraska Department of Labor.
Bank tips for avoiding scams
Because artificial intelligence is being used to make frauds more sophisticated, it’s critical to understand how to recognize a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
Before sending any money to a contractor, homeowners should thoroughly investigate them, according to industry experts.
To find out if the business has ever been the subject of a complaint, you should look up the company on the Better Business Bureau.
The most prevalent roofing scams are “storm chasers,” who prey on homeowners after severe weather events in an attempt to find roofs that have been damaged by hail or rain.
They are frequently observed distributing flyers from door to door.
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Contractors that claim “mystery damage,” bids that look too good to be true, and companies that demand a sizable down payment are additional frauds to be wary of.
Long Roofing has compiled a list of tips for avoiding con artists and frauds.
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