A NEWPORT man has urged residents to be extra vigilant over fears bogus builders are operating in the area, more than a year after he was scammed for £6,000.

Pill resident David Hood said he was visited this week by workers who claimed to have spotted problems with his roof tiling.

While unable to prove whether they were actually rogue traders, the 67-year-old told the Argus that the behaviour seemed “all too familiar”.

Last summer, Mr Hood received a call from contractors offering to do some “simple work” on his roof having told him that there was something wrong.

“They got on to the roof and they showed some of the tiles were coming away,” said the Alexandra Road resident.

“Now I know that they were dislodging some of the tiles to look like the roof needed work.

“Usually any sort of building work needs a contract to be signed but they asked for money upfront.”

He said that he had fallen prey to an “elevator ride scam”, which involves rogue traders starting a job and adding more costs as they find more “problems”.

The scam usually ends when the job costs more money than the client can pay.

In Mr Hood’s case, he said he was quoted a final price of around £14,000.

He said: “They got £6,000 out of me in the end, I’d been ripped off. It was a blow at the time as I’d been planning to use the money for a holiday.

“After they had left I called a reputable builder to look at the roof and he said that nothing had been done, and that no work needed doing in the first place.”

Now Mr Hood is hoping his story will encourage others, especially those more vulnerable, to be wary of any suspicious activity in the Pill area.

A spokeswoman for Gwent Police encouraged both Mr Hood and others to contact their local neighbourhood policing teams in light of new incidents.

“While there are many legitimate tradespeople and officials, it’s wise to always be vigilant when you answer your door to someone you don’t know,” she said.

“Criminals who commit doorstep crime can be pushy and persuasive, or appear to be kind and caring and it can be very easy to fall victim. It’s especially important to be vigilant and aware if you live on your own.

“If you have concerns that a crime has taken place, please do call 101 to report it at the time, giving as much detail as possible about the incident.”