Sheriff Warns of Home Improvement Scams

From the McHenry County Sheriff:

Sheriff’s Office Warns Residents of Sealcoating and Home Improvement Scam

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office warns residents to be cautious and be diligent when contracting for home improvements.

During warmer months, groups of con-artists often referred to as traveling criminals, make their way to McHenry County.

These groups target senior citizens, but will approach other homeowners, to offer services that end up being subpar and require the homeowner to spend hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars to repair.

One Example Reported to the Sheriff’s Office:

A homeowner in unincorporated Cary received a knock on the door and the “sales man” offered her a new “Flex Seal” coating for her driveway.

He offered her a “bargain deal”, but did not quote a specific price.

Upon completion of the job the man demanded $6,000.

The elderly homeowner initially wrote a check, but cancelled it upon realizing she was being scammed.

The suspects in this case were described as under 50 years of age, male, and possibly of Hispanic descent.

They were driving a blue pickup truck and a white truck with the “Flex Seal” in the back.

Neither trucks had any identifiable markings on them.

Here are Some Tips to Protect Yourself:
 Professional contractors will have clearly marked business decals and markings on their vehicles, and will provide you with a detailed written estimate and proof of insurance.
 We encourage you to ask for three references and follow-up by contacting them.
 Check with your local chamber of commerce and the Better Business Bureau for reviews
on the company and the owner to see if there are any negative reviews.
 Ask your trusted friends and family for referral suggestions.
 Wait at least three days before committing to a company.

Remember if it seems too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

You can contact your local police department if you have concerns.

Residents that reside in the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction can call 815-338-3144.


Comments

Sheriff Warns of Home Improvement Scams — 18 Comments

  1. Yet no description provided of the scammer like the Wal Mart story.

    Likely the Mexican is behind this once again.

    Someone call Patrick Kenneally as perhaps he can look into this between snacks.

  2. about 80 bucks is the going rate, sometimes higher for the average seal coat driveway job…135, 100, 80 bucks seems to be the going rates in this area…6 grand?

    Wow, all they have to do is find one willing to pay and not cancel the check.

    Usually Hispanics that do this work, and normally above board–“not saying, just sayin”…

  3. I remember watching a 20/20 program about the “Traveling Irish” or was it Irish Travelers.

    Weird group who reside in Murphysboro TN.

    All live in expensive homes, drive expensive trucks.

    Scamming people with driveway sealcoating and chimney repairs were common techniques used on the elderly.

    Forty years ago one came driving up to our house with a 600’ blacktop drive.

    “Lane is my name, driveways are my game” he said with an Irish accent.

    Showed us how he could do our drive for $600 with a spray system.

    Of course my Dad did not fall for his high pressure sales pitch, did it ourselves with buckets and brooms.

    We have had excellent results with local sealers like Pagni and I forget the other CL company.

    Use local contractors, not the lowest price is my advice.

    And no, I am not anti Irish!

  4. Is there still a gypsy camp on the Fox river off Behan rd. Or was it Buhl rd?

  5. Gary Christ, at one time it was a gypsy group we had to be wary of, they would only be in the area during the summer, winters they went south.

  6. I can’t believe I’m actually agreeing with Cindy on something, but I too have used Hastings Asphalt for 20+ years. Good folks and never a problem.

  7. And Gypsies should be deported……. to Antarctica!

    There they won’t be able to leech off of the native population like they have every country they ever infested.

    Btw, when Illinois has its own IBI, there was a Gypsy Division that exposed a whole gypsy network of corruption and moral degradation.

    One of their famous tricks in the 80s was to buy airplane tickets for a 2 hour ride with about 6-9 gypsies aboard, 1 of whom was a female called ‘the banker’

    The gypsies would all sit apart from each other and never indicate they were in league.

    When the plane landed scads of people would realize they’d been pickpocketed.

    If there was any problem the suspect(s) would be frisked …..

    but no money or credit cards would ever be found on him, bc he transferred the loot to the girl enroute.

    Think about it…… people feel ‘safe’ on a plane ride and are carrying lots of cash.

    The tickets were peanuts compared to the take!

    Credit cards were maxed within hours.

    Boo hoo, sorry to be so ‘racist.’

    Stereotypes about gypsies didn’t spontaneously arise out of thin air.

    Why do think the word ‘gypped’ came about?

  8. Per WIKI

    Gypsy Rose Lee was born in Seattle, Washington, on January 8,1911, however, she always gave January 9 as her date of birth.[1][3] She was known as Louise to her family. Her sister, actress June Havoc, was born in 1912. Their mother, Rose Thompson Hovick, forged various birth certificates for each of her daughters—older when needed to evade varying state child labor laws, and younger for reduced or free train fares. The girls were unsure until later in life what their years of birth were.

  9. Didn’t the Appellate Court just warm is about Sheriff Prim’s Chinese virus overreach releasing names of infected?

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