Some residents have told us that scammers posing as repair contractors have attempted to gain access to their homes.
When you report a repair to us, we will allocate one of our approved contractors to the job. Our contractors for repairs are Axis Europe and Wates. We may on occasion also use specialist subcontractors.
When a repairs operative is allocated to your case and visits your home, they will always carry photo ID and will be able to provide the details of your repair case when requested. If the person at your door is unable to give you the case reference number, do not let them into your home.
If you are at all unsure, you can phone our call centre on 0208 825 5682 to confirm the person at your door is genuine.
Top tips on avoiding repairs scams
If you are a council resident and have arranged a repair through the council, you will not be charged so be cautious of anyone who:
- asks you to pay money to complete a repair
- claims they work on behalf of Ealing Council and cannot provide details of your repair request or show valid photo ID
Claim farming
We have heard stories in the housing sector of fake companies approaching residents and encouraging them to make claims for things that need repairing in their home. This is known as ‘claim farming’.
Claim farmers operate by cold calling, leaflet drops, and on social media. These companies often claim they are calling from the ‘repairs team’ or ‘on behalf of Ealing Council’.
When asked, they will refuse to provide an authentic company name, and any call back number provided will be a false number. Their calls may be from unknown numbers or even local lines. Residents’ personal information is often sold to ‘no win, no fee’ solicitors for a profit. In many cases, residents will find themselves with legal costs to pay even if they later withdraw their claim.
Report scams
We encourage residents to be wary of any individual, cold call, or leaflet with an offer that sound too good to be true.
Speak to a member of council staff at your local housing hub or seek advice from Citizens Advice before signing any documents.
You can report scams to help stop the criminals responsible and protect others. Call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133. They will provide advice and pass on details of the scam to Trading Standards.
Report the scam to Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud. They will give you a crime reference number that you will need to give to your bank.