Your home is being cased for the holidays

7 minutes ago

2 min read

I got a text message from a local number this week. It said something like this:

Hi Attila, it's Kim! Our painters found major peeling paint near (my home address). Shall I save u a free paint estimate while they're nearby?

Obviously this came from someone who's up to no good. But what's going on here? It reminded me that Christmas is only 13 weekends away and with the holidays coming up, these scams are going to be coming in fast and furious. This is your wake up call.

The "peeling paint" and other unsolicited home repair offers are a known scam tactic. There are documented outcomes of such scams, such as:

Taking a deposit for work, then disappearing
Performing unnecessary or deliberately poor work
Inflating the price once work begins
Casing the residence for a burglary later
Committing a distraction burglary during the visit, where one crook keeps the homeowner occupied while another enters the house and steals your valuables

The Takeaway

The Honolulu Police Department and fraud guidance from the Hawaiʻi Attorney General have issued warnings about unlicensed contractors soliciting residents for painting, power washing and other home projects, often taking advance payment and failing to complete the work. Here are my top 5 tips so that you or a family member don't get victimized in the coming weeks:

Don’t respond to unsolicited repair texts. If someone says that they noticed damage to your home, don’t confirm details about your property, schedule, or whether you’re actually at home.
Don’t let unexpected contractors onto your property. Legitimate contractors generally don’t need to inspect your home without an appointment. If you need work done, contact a company you've researched and trust.
Never pay upfront for surprise repairs. Are they demanding a deposit, cash payment, or immediate decision? Red flag. Get a written estimate and check the contractor’s company and license by going to the Hawaii Business Express and using the DCCA Contractor License Search.
Protect information about your routine. Don’t tell unknown callers or texters when you’ll be away, who lives in the home, or when the property is usually empty. Those details are gold for crooks.
Trust your instincts and report suspicious activity. If someone shows up unexpectedly or behaves suspiciously, don’t confront them. Stay inside, take pictures and call 911 if necessary.

Also, I recommend saving screenshots of suspicious texts before blocking the sender and reporting them by forwarding the text to 7726 (SPAM), which will go directly to your mobile provider so they can investigate.

Stay safe out there.

-Attila