The most common scam faced by UK households revealed

LocalBusiness & Finance
20 Oct 2026 • 5:19 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

The most common scam faced by UK households revealed

  • Suspected roofing scams were the most common scam reported to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service over the past year, accounting for 10 per cent of all flagged goods and service complaints.
  • Fraudsters frequently use aggressive doorstep sales tactics or online platforms to target vulnerable homeowners, inventing non-existent roof issues to extort thousands of pounds.
  • Lord Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards, warned that victims risk losing their life savings within hours while being left with damaged homes and financial hardship.
  • One victim, a 65-year-old woman named Charlotte, shared how she was intimidated into paying £3,500 for non-existent repairs after using an online trade platform.
  • Citizens Advice advises consumers to avoid unsolicited cold-callers, obtain written quotes and agreements, and use approved schemes such as TrustMark or local council lists.

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