property
New ‘fake roofer’ scam involving drones reported in Nice
Several sophisticated scams looking to gain entry to homes are now popular
Residents in Nice are being warned of a new ‘fake roofer’ scam, used by a suspected fraudster to potentially gain access to their homes.
The scam consists of a person posing as a tradesperson going door-to-door to offer a drone flight above a property to inspect the roof for damage.
The fraudulent activity has been reported in the Gairaut area of the city, with the man in question of average build and wearing a grey or brown jacket according to the local neighbourhood vigilance (voisins vigilants) network.
Residents in the area have been warned not to allow the man into their homes.
A similar type of scam was reported this summer in Castelginest (Haute-Garonne).
In that case, the fraudster claimed to have flown a drone over the property and identified damage on the roof, before offering to carry out urgent repairs and asking for on the spot payment for the work, then disappearing.
In another case this July, an 83-year-old woman in Crécy-en-Ponthieu (Somme) was scammed into handing over her bank card details to men posing as municipal workers who claimed to have come to clean her roof.
The men managed to obtain the woman's PIN, before stealing €4,000 from her account, French media reported.
Be careful who you let inside your home
Nationally, there has been a rise in reports of increasingly sophisticated scams by crooks looking to gain unauthorised access to homes in recent years.
This can come in the form of posing as a tradesperson, municipal worker, or even authorities such as the police.
Some versions see several people working together, including fake traders and fake police confusing victims inside their properties, taking advantage of the chaos to rob them, either by getting them to show where they keep valuables or through coercion.
People living alone, particularly elderly or vulnerable individuals are often targeted.
Advice to avoid scams of this type remains consistent. If someone knocks at your door without a prior appointment, check their official credentials – no legitimate worker will be annoyed by such a request.
Do not let anyone into your home unsupervised, or when you are alone. This is especially the case for people turning up unannounced. A genuine trader or worker will be happy to organise a follow-up appointment at a set date.
Never reveal the location of your valuables inside your home, even to police officers.
If you feel unsafe, call the police on 17 (or the Europe-wide 112 number) immediately.
