Scam Spotlight: Garage Repair Imposter

A Wisconsin consumer recently contacted a repair company when their garage door was stuck, and was then nearly scammed out of $5,000. And the consumer was not the only one taken advantage of. The consumer had contacted a legitimate garage door repair company, but the subcontractor who the legitimate company sent to perform the repair was a scammer.

The consumer allowed the scammer/technician into their garage, and after examining the broken garage door, the scammer claimed repairs would cost $5,000. This sounded suspicious to the consumer, and the next steps they took saved them from the scam:

· First, the consumer asked for a bill of sale, which the scammer couldn’t provide (because he claimed all paperwork was managed online, not in physical form).

· Next, the consumer asked a family member for help, and this prompted the scammer to offer a tax-free bill if the consumer paid in cash.

· The family member asked the scammer to leave, but the scammer demanded to be paid almost $1,000 for “labor costs.”

· After the consumer and their family member threatened to involve the police, the scammer gathered his equipment and left.

By requesting actions that a legitimate business would be able to perform (like providing a bill), talking to someone they knew and trusted about the situation, and refusing to pay despite the scammer’s high pressure tactics, this consumer protected themself from a scam – and helped a legitimate business identify a shady subcontractor.