The King County Sheriff’s Office is warning that fraudulent contractors are targeting elderly residents in Western Washington.
RENTON, Wash. — The King County Sheriff’s Office is warning homeowners that investigators say a group of allegedly fraudulent contractors is running a high-pressure home repair scam targeting elderly residents in western Washington.
Detectives said the schemes often begin with unsolicited knocks on doors and offers to repair roofs, chimneys or masonry work. Investigators say the suspects pressured vulnerable homeowners to pay large sums of money upfront, often via cashier’s checks, and then left with damaged or incomplete works.
Larry, who did not want to give his or his father’s name, said his family was shocked when his mother warned relatives about yellow caution tape around their home just before Mother’s Day.
“My mom told my sister, there’s yellow tape around. When you come over for Mother’s Day, be careful with the yellow tape,” Larry said.
The family’s concerns escalated after they learned workers had torn down the chimney.
“My sister said ‘yellow tape?’ and then we heard about the brick piles. There was a pile of bricks this high,” he said.
The family contacted the King County Sheriff’s Office, and Detective John Welsh began investigating the companies involved in the effort. Investigators discovered the LLC the contractor claimed to represent did not exist, Welsh said.
Investigators believe the suspects targeted seniors and vulnerable adults by posing as legitimate contractors using business logos, generic contracts and professional-looking trucks, according to KCSO.
Detectives said the suspects allegedly pressured homeowners to authorize increasingly expensive repairs after preliminary work began. Investigators say that in many cases, subcontracted workers would partially remove chimneys or roofs before the original contractor would request additional cash to complete the project.
“They’re trying to drag this out as long as possible, put as much pressure as possible and keep extracting more money from these people,” Welsh said.
The Sheriff’s Office said at least one of the suspects spoke with a thick Irish accent. Investigators said the suspects often requested payment by cashier’s check and allegedly used fake or unverifiable LLCs.
Investigators believe the same group may be linked to similar cases elsewhere in King County and beyond, Welsh said.
“We believe these individuals have pocketed over $2 million this year alone through these money-tracing scams,” Welsh said.
In a similar case in Shoreline, investigators said a man offered a chimney repair to a 74-year-old woman who lived alone for several hundred dollars. According to KCSO documents, the woman later told deputies that she believed she had agreed to limited repair work — “not just cleaning, but not a full removal of the chimney.”
Investigators said workers dismantled the entire chimney in about an hour and then demanded thousands of dollars to repair the damage. The woman later said she felt forced to sign an $8,000 contract because the workers refused to leave her property.
Wales urges homeowners to be suspicious of unsolicited contractors, especially those who demand immediate payment.
“If someone approaches you uninvited, that should be your first red flag,” Welsh said. “If they’re putting a lot of pressure on you, that’s another red flag. If they’re asking for a large amount of money up front, like a regular contractor wouldn’t do that.”
After returning to Renton, Larry said the experience had a profound impact on his family.
“It’s very frustrating. Because it’s thrown our family into chaos,” he said. “We’re trying to move, clean out the house and do a lot of other things because they’re trying to downsize. It just makes it more difficult.”
No arrests have been announced in the Renton investigation. Detectives say they believe there are more victims and are asking anyone who may have encountered similar contractors to contact the King County Sheriff’s Office.
