Bogus ‘roofers’ warning

Housing bosses yesterday issued a warning after bogus callers posing as roofers tried to prey on vulnerable tenants.

Linstone Housing Association said scammers claiming to be carrying out roof surveys have been operating in Linwood.

The housing association, which has homes in Linwood, Johnstone and Paisley, offered safety advice and thanked members of the public for raising the alarm.

A spokesman said:“We are grateful for this being brought to our attention by the community and we acted quickly to reassure our tenants.

“It is vitally important to remember that if a Linstone employee calls at your home they will always use their photographic ID to show you who they are.

“If you are in doubt as to who they are, you should refuse entry to your home and contact

Linstone. No employee, such as a housing officer, would ever visit a tenant’s home without this identification.

“Contractors acting on behalf of Linstone do, on occasion, call at a tenant’s home to undertake such things as carrying out a repair.

“Again, you should always ask for photographic identification – which all contractors will have – and never let anyone in without it.”

The Paisley Daily Express is running a Protect Our Pensioners campaign, which aims to highlight bogus crimes and scams.

A spokesman for Linstone added:“We applaud this campaign by the Paisley Daily Express because it reminds our communities of the need for constant vigilance on the doorstep by our senior citizens.

“Like any housing association, we have a large number of senior citizen tenants and we are keen to remind them never to let anyone into their home if they are unsure of who they are.”

If you ever feel threatened or unsure when an unknown person calls at your door, call police on 101.