Elderly people are being targeted in their homes by rogue builders and sellers of mobility equipment. What can you do to protect yourself and your family?

The problem of rogue builders turning up on your doorstep and offering to do some work for a knockdown price isn’t new. But increasingly these gangs are ruthlessly targeting vulnerable elderly people in their own home, sometimes fleecing them of tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds. And once someone has been conned it’s likely they’ll be targeted again and again - sometimes until their money runs out.

How the rogue traders work
Although there are hundreds of different rogue traders working around the country, there are two typical scenarios that they use:

• Offer to do roof repair or driveway work at a knock-down price. It all sounds plausible enough. The rogue traders will say they’re working in the area and that they have some leftover materials and so can offer a discount. Once they start the work they’ll find other problems or simply inflate the price.

SAVVY TIP: Most of these traders pass details of victims to each other, often by word of mouth. This results in the person being targeted repeatedly.

• Target elderly and disabled people with mobility aids. These can range from ‘orthopaedic’ mattresses to bath lifts and high seated chairs. In some cases the aids aren’t needed, in others they’re vastly overpriced.

SAVVY TIP: Some traders give the impression that they have links to the local council social services department. They may also ask to see what medication someone is taking and ask for some personal information so they can give them better ‘advice’. Some companies select elderly consumers by buying lists of addresses (those who’ve signed up to car mobility schemes or even, surprisingly, people who’ve opted out of the mailing and telephone preference scheme can be popular with some hard sell companies).

What are your rights?
Anyone who signs a contract in their home, whether or not they’ve invited the person there in the first place, has certain rights under consumer protection law. These are:

• The right to cancel within seven days. If you signed a contract after a sales man or woman came to see you at home (or work) and the goods or service cost more than £35, you have the right to cancel the contract if you change your mind.

SAVVY TIP: The website Consumer Direct has a cancellation template that you can use if you want to cancel a contract and there’s also information on doorstep selling regulations.

• Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. This law was introduced in 2008 to give consumers wide-ranging protection from aggressive or misleading traders. The problem is that if you don’t have anything in writing and you don’t have contact details for the company, it’s difficult if not impossible to enforce this law.

You might find it’s more effective to ban cold callers in the first place.

• Set up a ‘No cold callers' zone. Trading Standards and the police work together in many areas to enable people to set up ‘no cold calling zones’. It’s not something you have the automatic right to do – the street or area normally has to have a high proportion of older or vulnerable people.

SAVVY TIP: There’s information on setting up a no cold calling zone on the Trading Standards website.

What to look for
The techniques used by the rogue traders vary but one Trading Standards officer I spoke to said they can invest a lot of time and effort in gaining the trust of someone. With most elderly people wanting to remain independent as long as they can and many family members living some distance away, it can be hard to spot a problem.

• Ask if they have had any unexpected visitors. Find out if anyone has offered to do repair work to the house or to sell mobility aids.

SAVVY TIP: If your relative has been targeted once, even if it was only for a modest amount of money, the odds are that they will be targeted again by another trader. Some elderly people have been defrauded of their entire life savings by a number of different rogue traders. The charity Age UK has a guide to avoiding scams on its website.

• Check if there’s any work that needs doing. If there is try and offer to help sort it out with them.

SAVVY TIP: If your relative uses carers, the fraud may be picked up by a member of the adult services team. In some local authorities – but not all – Trading Standards work closely with adult services departments and carers are trained to be on the lookout for potential problems.

What can banks do?
Banks say they can’t stop someone from spending their money even if they seem to be spending it in an unusual way. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing they can do.

• Banks can report suspicious transaction. If a bank cashier sees a suspicious transaction they can (and do) check that all is OK. In some circumstances they can contact the police or Trading Standards.

SAVVY TIP: When I spoke to the British Bankers’ Association they said that banks have to put the customer’s wishes first and there can be a fine line between acting on suspicions and being seen as interfering by the customer. Further information is available in their safeguarding vulnerable customers guidance leaflet.

What should you do if you or a relative has been ripped off?
If you think you or someone you know has been targeted, don’t suffer in silence.

• Contact Trading Standards (either directly or via Consumer Direct) or your local police as soon as you can.
• Speak to a family member, trusted neighbour or friend.
• Write down what happened so you have it clear in your mind when you’re asked for more information.