Public assistance
Date of Release: August 29th, 2008
Reference: Public warning
The Portsmouth Police Department is advising the public about a recent ‘scam’ that has been perpetrated in Portsmouth this week.
This particular ‘scam’ involves a purported chimney cleaning service calling themselves ‘Up and Smoke Chimney Industries’. The suspects are described as two white males and one black male driving a white panel van.
The ‘scam’ begins with a phone call to a residence, in this case by a female caller, soliciting for chimney repairs and offering a very low price. Once the homeowner agreed to the service, the suspects arrived and appeared to do some work on the roof, but they claimed that it was more involved than originally thought, and asked for payment that was much higher than originally promised.
This is just one of many ‘scams’ that are perpetrated, most often on elderly residents. Driveway paving is another common one. Often the suspect’s goal is not only to receive payment for work that is either not completed or even done at all, but also to gain access inside the home in order to steal valuables either at that time or at a later date.
Homeowners should never accept any solicitation over the phone, and be sure to check out references of any person or company before agreeing to any work. When in doubt, call the police department.
We urge anyone who has information about these type of crimes to call the Bureau of Investigative Services at 436-2511, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 431-1199 or 1-207-439-1199, or leave a tip click here.