Surrey Police issued an urgent warning about an increase in doorstep scams, particularly targeting elderly and vulnerable residents.
Recent storms have provided an opportunity for rogue traders to exploit communities. They cold-call homes and offer to carry out unnecessary or substandard work at inflated prices—or, in some cases, take payment without completing the job at all.
Alarming Rise in Incidents
Over the past three months, Surrey and Sussex Police have recorded 155 cases involving doorstep crime, resulting in a staggering loss of £980,640.
Sergeant Ryan Scott from Woking Police highlighted that elderly women living alone in affluent areas were among the primary targets.
“These crimes have a massive emotional and mental impact on victims,” he explained. “Unfortunately, we have had some victims pass away, possibly through stress, a couple of weeks after these incidents.”
Case Study: Intimidation Tactics
One recent case in Sussex involved rogue traders who cold-called an elderly resident, offering to fix a single loose roof tile.
After just 30 minutes of additional work, they falsely claimed more repairs were needed and demanded a price 10 times the original quote.
Despite feeling pressured and intimidated, the resident refused to pay and alerted the police. This example demonstrates how scammers create confusion and use high-pressure tactics to exploit victims.
Underreported Crimes
Police believe the true scale of the problem is much larger, as many victims feel too embarrassed to report the crime.
“There’s no need to feel ashamed,” Sergeant Scott reassured. “The way these people work is they are so convincing. They will confuse you and convince you. There’s no need to feel embarrassed at all.”
