North Shore Residents Warned About Chimney Scam
LYNN (CBS) - A warning is going out for residents on the North Shore, after at least one homeowner was scammed out of thousands of dollars.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Bernice Corpuz reports
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Lynn Police tell homeowners to beware not to fall into the trap of a bogus chimney inspection.
Lt. Chris Kelly describes how the scammers operate.
"They either come to the house or cold call the homeowner, offer them a very attractive price for a chimney or furnace cleaning, around $50," says Kelly. "Once the homeowner has agreed, the service person will inform them during the inspection that they find several code violations that have to be fixed immediately."
In one recent case, he says the homeowner was quoted nearly $4,000 to replace a chimney liner, which city inspectors later deemed unnecessary.
His advice to homeowners is to do a background check before signing an agreement.
