Arlington police charge Boston man for yet another home improvement scam

Criminal offense

This is the next time this 7 days that Arlington police have arrested a person for a household enhancement scam.

For the second time this week, Arlington police billed a gentleman for scamming a resident working with a popular household advancement plan.

Jack Clarke, 23, of Boston, was charged with larceny by untrue pretenses over $1,200, malicious destruction of property around $1,200, conspiracy, and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

On Saturday, Jan. 14, Arlington law enforcement were being contacted by a resident who considered he was the victim of a residence enhancement scam, Arlington law enforcement mentioned in a information release Wednesday.

The victim instructed police that two males, a single of whom was afterwards identified as Clarke, quoted him $14,500 to paint his basement. When the males started off their get the job done on the victim’s basement, they allegedly wrecked portion of the basement foundation and then confident the target to pay out them $68,000 for repairs, police explained.

In this case, the suspects delivered the target with what seemed to be a business enterprise deal. Bogus business contracts can enable scammers appear like a authentic enterprise, law enforcement stated.

The victim in the long run wrote several checks for a part of the whole amount. These checks have been allegedly cashed by Clarke, law enforcement claimed.

On Jan. 17, the target alerted law enforcement that Clarke experienced returned to the victim’s house to gather resources and other products he left in the victim’s basement. Law enforcement have been then ready to positively recognize Clarke as the scammer and placed him underneath arrest, police claimed.

As a result of their investigation, police claimed, they uncovered that Clarke was also allegedly driving without a license.

Clarke was arraigned in Cambridge District Courtroom on Tuesday and introduced on particular recognizance bail.

On Friday, Arlington police arrested 3 gentlemen for working with the very same fraud on an aged resident.

Arlington police say that the scam utilized in both cases is a prevalent scam for which the elderly are normally targeted.

Typically, a scammer will uncover a property in have to have of maintenance and offer the property owner a very lower value to repair the concern. Then, the scammer will hurt the dwelling and quotation the homeowner a considerably better rate.

The scammer finishes by convincing the target to spend for the new repairs upfront, promising to finish the work later on, but does not return to fix the house.

Tips for staying away from frauds:

• Scammers may possibly method probable victims for dwelling advancement frauds by phone, e-mail, or doorway-to-door
• Scammers normally estimate opportunity victims unreasonably low costs for the providers they’re offering
• Test to make sure the contractor is registered with the Place of work of Consumer Affairs and Company Regulation by applying its household improvement contractor registration appear up provider
• Be cautious if the particular person is driving an unmarked car or truck
• Usually request a copy of the contractor’s typical contract
• Talk to no matter whether the contractor will present a guarantee and how very long that guarantee will past
• Scammers may possibly assert they’ve been doing do the job domestically and have surplus content
• Constantly request a small business card or web-site for the contractor’s small business
• Under no circumstances spend far more than a person-3rd of the overall cost of assistance upfront, and only do so after you have confirmed that this particular person is a registered home enhancement contractor and you have a deal

Everyone who thinks they might have fallen victim to any sort of scam is inspired to get in touch with the Arlington Police Department at 781-643-1212, or make contact with their community law enforcement department.