By Zeinab Diouf
Boston University News Service

Recent home repair scams have prompted police to place Boston homeowners on alert. In a Facebook post, the Boston Police Department stated that as warm weather correlates to a rise in contracting scams, residents are advised to take cautionary measures.

“As the spring weather approaches, there can be an increase in scammers offering fraudulent paving services or home improvement work,” wrote BPD in the post. 

“It’s the kind of work you can’t really do in the dead of winter,” clarified BPD Officer Andre Watson in a recent interview. “And that prompted the post we put up.”

Scammers will go from door to door offering various services, such as basement renovation, driveway paving and roofing repair at discounted rates. Seniors in need of home maintenance will oftentimes respond to these solicitations, suffering a loss of money for incomplete projects.  

“Elderly people have assets or cash on hand. They have different vulnerabilities — whether that be medical, like dementia or mobility issues where they can’t actually check the work that’s being done,” said Watson. “They also may not be as technologically savvy as someone who is younger and will actually be able to go online and get additional quotes.”  

A Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker Risk Report found that in 2021, 55.5% of people surveyed were conned out of money and time. An additional 44% of people, as an…