People in deprived areas are being scammed out of hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of pounds, Trading Standards bosses have warned.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has said fraudsters are duping homeowners into handing over cash for fake "toxic mould" surveys amid the cost of living crisis. Reports of cold callers targeting people have come in from across the UK, though particularly in deprived areas.
Scammers are said to use "high pressure sales tactics" to trick people into paying an "admin fee" of up to £250, which they say is necessary to secure a government energy-efficiency grant.
READ MORE: Mrs Hinch fans' 45p hack to banish mould from washing machines
The fraudsters are then never seen again, with victims unable to contact them to get their money back. In other cases, the scammers have gone on to carry out work, including installing spray foam insulation which they claim has "mould killing qualities".
They then charge excessive amounts, sometimes several thousands of pounds, for poor quality and unnecessary work, which in some cases has been found to affect the mortgageability of the property. In addition to cold-calling, scammers are also attempting to arrange surveys by text and phone call.
One woman, a retired teacher in Glasgow, almost lost £7,000 by cold callers who told her they had found toxic mould in her attic. They pressured her into taking out a loan they had directed her to online, but fortunately her bank spotted signs of a scam and the transaction was cancelled.
Mould can be extremely harmful, as highlighted by the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak as a result of exposure to toxic mould in his family’s flat in Rochdale in 2020. Fraudsters are said to be cashing in on people's legitimate health concerns.
CTSI Lead Officer for Doorstep Crime, Katherine Hart, advised: "Don’t engage with anyone at the door, and never invite a cold-caller into your home. If you are thinking about installing energy-efficiency or anti-damp measures in your home, make sure you check that the company you use is fully accredited and you know where to reach them if you need to.
"Similarly, never respond to offers of home repair work you receive via text or phone, in most cases these are sent by scammers seeking to steal money or personal details."
For consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133
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