Arrests following alleged roof repair scam

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of fraud offences after an elderly woman almost paid around £5,000 for an alleged roof repair.

We were called at 1.20pm on Monday (20 April) to a property off Bridgnorth Road in Wombourne following reports of suspicious activity.

The victim, a woman in her 70s, attended a bank and attempted to withdraw £4,850 in cash to give to men to replace roof tiles.

The bank alerted us to what had happened and said the men were waiting for the victim in a van outside of her property.

Officers immediately attended the address and two people were arrested a short time later.

A 25-year-old man, from Shrewsbury, and a 17-year-old boy, from Gloucester, have each been arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation.

They have been placed on conditional police bail while our inquiries continue.

Anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area at the time should call us on 101 or use Live Chat on our website, quoting incident number 379 of 20 April.  To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

We would urge anyone who is concerned about potential fraud to call us on 101, use Live Chat on our website, or call 999 in an emergency.

For information on how to protect yourselves from scammers, visit: https://www.staffordshire.police.uk/ro/report/fo/v2/report-fraud-bribery-corruption/