More on KentOnline
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A pensioner has been fleeced out of £73,000 of his savings by conmen who said his roof needed mending.
The fraudsters used a sophisticated scam using a reputable Medway roofing company's name to trick 71-year-old Malcolm Bishop.
They used headed paper and business cards of genuine Strood-based company Premier Roofcare to con the OAP and his wife Jill.
When the managing director of Premier Roofcare found out, he was so disgusted that he has offered to repair the catastrophic damage caused to the couple’s bungalow home in Strood.
The heartless swindle has left retired bank employee Mr Bishop "sick" and "suicidal".
Having worked all their lives, the cash was their nest egg for retirement.
Now Mr Bishop says they might struggle to do a food shop in Sainsbury's.
Initially, one of the three-man gang knocked on the door of their home in River Drive offering to replace cracked tiles for £1,000 cash.
He then claimed to have unearthed more serious "problems" including rotting timbers and he needed more money to sort it out.
Mr Bishop said: “From then, on it just snowballed. He said I would have to hire a generator because they needed to turn the electricity off.
“And he said he might have to contact the council because the property might need condemning and we might have to find somewhere else to live. I just panicked.”
After five transactions, including withdrawals from rheumatoid arthritis sufferer Jill’s account, alarm bells started to ring.
He tracked down the genuine company’s contact details and boss Lee Austin picked up the call.
Mr Austin said: “I had no idea what he was talking about.
"I was horrified with what he was saying. This poor man was in tears.”
Mr Austin went to his home and, with the help of firefighters, put up makeshift sheeting to prevent leaks.”
He said: “The roof was completely open at the front and the side, exposing the loft.
“They had given him false telephone numbers saying not to call our main office in Strood where I am based.”
Mr Austin has called around his suppliers and has pledged to carry out the work, providing labour and materials.
"He said he might have to contact the council because the property might need condemning...I just panicked"
He has set up a GoFundMe page to help with half of the cost to rectify the damage caused over two weeks, estimated to be about £12,000.
Almost £2,000 had been raised in less than 24 hours.
Neighbours have also rallied round offering help and support.
Mr Bishop said: “When I refused to pay the final demand, he got his roofers out and they were gone within seconds.
“Let this be a warning to others. Don’t answer the door or phone if you suspect something and always say you will be looking for other quotes to compare prices.”
It is not the first time Mr Austin’s firm has helped others in need.
In September 2018, the roofers saved Fort Amherst in Chatham up to £4,000 by agreeing to fix a vandalised roof free of charge.
