0:00:00 > 0:00:02Let's be honest. There's nothing more frustrating
0:00:02 > 0:00:05than when something goes wrong in your house.
0:00:05 > 0:00:10Last year, we spent a staggering £15 billion on house repairs.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13But how can we tell if we've got a good deal
0:00:13 > 0:00:16or if we've been taken to the cleaner's?
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Do you want to go for 225?
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Just for today, 500 quid. If it's cash.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Probably about seven and a half grand.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28We've been secretly filming up and down the UK
0:00:28 > 0:00:33and we reveal how shockingly easy it could be for you - yes, you - to be duped.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38- I'm afraid you've been ripped off. He's not a bona fide tradesman. - He's not?!
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Have I been done?
0:00:40 > 0:00:43So yeah, I've been done, maybe.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45And this is the bit I love.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48We expose the UK's most outrageous tradesmen rip-offs.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51It was one of the worst conservatories I'd ever seen.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53It needed pulling down.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55The house was a death trap.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57There's no other word for it. Conned.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Coming up:
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Our tricky tradesman Roger tries to pocket hundreds of pounds
0:01:03 > 0:01:05while posing as a gas man in London.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10I'm pretending this is a piece of pipe I've taken out of his house.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14The heartless rogue in North Yorkshire whose rotten roofing trick
0:01:14 > 0:01:18bagged him thousands of pounds while putting consumers' lives at risk.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22We noticed a large bulge in the ceiling and water dripping down.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25It's really unsafe, dripping around the electrics.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29And sparks fly in Middlesex when Roger shocks a consumer
0:01:29 > 0:01:31about the state of his kitchen wiring.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Aghh!
0:01:32 > 0:01:34BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP
0:01:34 > 0:01:38- Has that come straight from the socket?- No using that for a while.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Stand by for Dirty Tricks of the Tradesmen.
0:01:47 > 0:01:53Hello. I don't know about you, but I don't know a lot about trades like roofing or plumbing.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58That's why we rely on tradesmen. The vast majority of them are professional and hard-working,
0:01:58 > 0:02:03but a small minority give tradesmen a bad name with their dirty tricks.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08Today we're meeting people who've been ripped off by the cowboys.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11What's more, with your help, we'll show you just how easy it is
0:02:11 > 0:02:14to fall for some of the oldest tricks in the tradesmen's books.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19People have set up friends and relatives for a visit from our tradesman. Why?
0:02:19 > 0:02:23To show you how to avoid being taken to the cleaners.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26This is Roger Bisby.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31After 40 years' experience, there's not much he doesn't know about the building game.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36If there's one thing he doesn't like, it's con men
0:02:36 > 0:02:39cashing in on their dirty tricks.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43But we're asking Roger to turn tricky.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47To become a bad apple, one of the dodgiest tradesmen you could meet.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Why? To show you how not to get conned.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55We'll set up small property problems
0:02:55 > 0:02:57and send Roger round to show how easy it is
0:02:57 > 0:02:59to be scammed.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Filming with hidden cameras,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Roger will be working with his cameraman and "apprentice" Luke.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Very soon, we'll discover where they're setting their first trap.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14According to Gas Safe, one in three of us trust a tradesman
0:03:14 > 0:03:18to do gas and boiler work on the recommendation of a friend or neighbour
0:03:18 > 0:03:20without checking their registration first.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26That can be dangerous, not only for the wallet but also for the safety of our homes and families.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Roger's on his way to find out whether one south London man
0:03:29 > 0:03:33is as smart a consumer as he thinks he is.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39Retired teacher Kathy Dixon wants to set up her lighting engineer husband Kevin
0:03:39 > 0:03:42because she thinks he pays too little attention
0:03:42 > 0:03:44to jobs that need doing.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48I call my husband a "gonna" because he's always gonna call somebody in
0:03:48 > 0:03:51and he's always gonna do it himself, but he never gets round to it.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Cathy and Kevin had their cooker serviced recently.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57A Gas Safe engineer gave it the all-clear.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02But she's been telling Kevin she can sometimes smell the odd whiff of gas.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06She wants it checked out and has called in a friend of a friend repair man.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09And the man with a nose for the job is Roger.
0:04:10 > 0:04:16So to help me sniff it out I've got my assistant, cameraman-cum-gas-engineer Luke,
0:04:16 > 0:04:17and you've got a few props.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21I've got the best prop we've ever had. A stink bomb!
0:04:21 > 0:04:25What we're going to do with these stink bombs is just enhance the smell of gas.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Then, when we've done that, because we're total cowboys,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33we're not going to repair it. We'll just wrap some tape round it!
0:04:33 > 0:04:37The proper thing to do if you smell gas is to contact the national grid
0:04:37 > 0:04:40or, if you suspect a leak on a boiler,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42you should contact Gas Safe.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44They both offer free telephone advice.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47They'll put you to a local qualified engineer
0:04:47 > 0:04:52who should be registered with Gas Safe and should have an ID card to prove it.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Anyone without Gas Safe ID may well lack the qualifications
0:04:56 > 0:04:58needed to make repairs safely.
0:04:59 > 0:05:00In our little scenario,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Roger's stink bomb will make Kevin believe
0:05:03 > 0:05:05there really is a gas leak.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Roger will make a mountain out of a mole hill in terms of repairs that need to be done.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13Roger's got a roll of sticky tape to use as a repair
0:05:13 > 0:05:15but this is a really dirty trick.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19As it wouldn't be safe and it won't be worth the massive charge.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24Gas Safe engineers have told us that the call-out to investigate and repair a leak
0:05:24 > 0:05:26shouldn't cost more than 70 to £80.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Roger's looking to collect around three times that much,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33at least £200. What a rascal!
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Our tricky two-some arrive at just after 9.30.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Oh, is that where we're coming? Gas?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- Is it you?- Yeah.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Sorry, mate. Didn't realise.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- You're with him, are you? - Yeah, that's it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Sorry, we'll just come and look at your gas leak.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- Have you locked it, Roger? - Yeah, it's fine.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56It's an honest area round here, isn't it?
0:05:56 > 0:05:58It may be an honest area,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01but when repair men call, always check who they are.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Kevin has failed to do this. He's fallen at the first hurdle
0:06:05 > 0:06:08by not asking to see the old ID. In this case,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10it ought to be Gas Safe ID.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12To be fair, he is expecting a friend of a friend
0:06:12 > 0:06:16but he's taking a serious risk when it comes to gas.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18I'm not sure where it's coming from.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- I got the cooker out. There's nothing there.- OK.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26I had a gas fitter in to put a new pipe in from the cellar down to here.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31- Yeah.- But I can never smell it. My wife says she can smell it.
0:06:31 > 0:06:37As well as his nose, Roger has brought along his specialist gas detection equipment.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Did they do this when they came before, put the gauge on?
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- They did on the thing, but he was only checking the regulator.- Yeah.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47First thing is to get fresh air.
0:06:47 > 0:06:53Roger is using a proper gas detector. It should convince Kevin he's here for a professional job.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55It's having trouble calibrating that.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Of course, it won't detect any of Roger's hot air!
0:06:58 > 0:06:59OK. Let's give it a go.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03He's checked the boiler, the meter and the cooker,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06giving his all to earn Kevin's confidence.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Let's have a look under here.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Having crawled his way into the downstairs cellar,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Roger continues to check for gas leaks.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17DETECTOR ALARM BEEPS
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Oh, look at that.
0:07:20 > 0:07:21Straight on it.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23But surely Roger is faking this?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26- See that, Luke?- Yep.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29That's where it's leaking.
0:07:29 > 0:07:35Oh, I see. Roger has a genuine leak to fix, not something he's created himself.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38See that bubble? That's the leak.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- And there's the kink in the pipe. Do you see?- Yeah.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46That's been badly mullered in the past, hasn't it?
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Ah. So a damaged pipe is the cause of the gas leak.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51As Luke explains to Kevin.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55It's quite clear. The pipe's there and it's probably like that.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Like that. So it's obviously affecting it.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Remember, wife Kathy always calls him a "gonna".
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I wonder if Kevin's "gonna" mull this one over?
0:08:13 > 0:08:15It was pretty easy to find, actually.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18It's a steady little leak under the floor.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Somebody's damaged the pipe in the past. Given it a whack.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Probably when they were chucking suitcases down there.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Wow. A genuine but minor leak. Let's put the tricks on hold.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30First things first. Roger will make it safe.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33In we go. Wish us luck!
0:08:33 > 0:08:38Roger will later ensure that the leak is made safe on a permanent basis.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47But Kevin doesn't seem to care. He's upstairs leaving our "dodgy" gas men all alone.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Roger's going to charge through the nose for his work.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53So he needs a bigger gas leak. Remember the stink bomb?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Time for dirty trick number one.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Ooh!
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- I think we'll let another one of those go, don't you?- No!
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Steady on, Roger. That'll do!
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- No.- That's enough. That's enough to really...
0:09:11 > 0:09:14It's one of those smells that grows on you!
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I think the only thing growing is Kevin's bill.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22So, what a stinker. With the smell working its way round the house
0:09:22 > 0:09:24and Roger faking props in the street,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27will Kevin ever step out of his office?
0:09:27 > 0:09:28I'll muller this.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Sniffing an opportunity, Roger bends all the rules with yet another trick.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35What's he playing at?
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Statistics show the highest number of trade complaints
0:09:42 > 0:09:45tend to be about dodgy roofing jobs.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49In fact, in 2009 more than 1,500 reported complaints.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Our next story is a shocking one.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56But Trading Standards were soon able to bring the conman to justice.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04In two millennia, the city of York has seen rapscallions.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Among them, the invading Romans and the marauding Vikings.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Our story concerns a whole other kind of rogue
0:10:13 > 0:10:16who terrorised North Yorkshire for several years.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20As local Trading Standards officer Ruth Andrews reveals.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Mr Glyn is a very aggressive man.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27He used that to enable him to get more cash out of his victims.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30They were frightened, desperate about their properties,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34wanting to have the work done and get rid of Mr Glyn as soon as possible.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39Darrell Glyn was one of the county's most deceitful and aggressive rogue tradesmen.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43He pocketed just under £55,000 from his victims here
0:10:43 > 0:10:45and didn't care who he ripped off.
0:10:45 > 0:10:51He'd agree a price up front and in a schedule of when payments would be made by the consumer.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53But as soon as he actually started,
0:10:53 > 0:10:58he would make demands for cash up front. Large sums of cash repeatedly.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02In some cases, the damage he caused was worse than the job he was fixing.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05He often threatened violence to get more cash.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Mr Glyn was aggressive with the majority of his victims.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Threats were made to specific victims on certain occasions
0:11:12 > 0:11:15when he wanted more money and they were refusing to pay.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20One of his victims was 29-year-old IT director Stephen Porritt.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Looking to have his roof re-tiled, he did what you and I might do.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Checked the phone book.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31I saw the advert. It was a large ad so I thought it was a well-funded company
0:11:31 > 0:11:33that's done a lot of good business.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37It had a freephone number so I thought it wouldn't hurt to call.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Unfortunately, anyone can print an advert, lying about credentials.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45An advert on its own is never a guarantee of quality.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50When their roofer came out originally, we stood here,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52looked at the roof.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56He said he could see some damage from here, which I'm not sure about.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01Anyway, he put his ladders up, said there's some broken tiles causing the leaking
0:12:01 > 0:12:03and the lead flashing was worn.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05So he said the whole roof needs re-doing.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Glyn posed as a member of Trust Mark,
0:12:08 > 0:12:13a Government-approved traders' scheme, and a member of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors
0:12:13 > 0:12:16in order to persuade his victims of his credentials.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19In fact, he was lying on both counts.
0:12:20 > 0:12:26He said he'd re-tile the whole roof, renew all the fascia boards,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28give me new soffits, replace the guttering.
0:12:28 > 0:12:34He said he'd remove any waste materials, strip off the old roof, clear the site.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39For the whole works, he quoted £2,000, which I was quite happy about.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Stephen didn't realise he was literally making a deal
0:12:43 > 0:12:45with the rogue trading devil.
0:12:46 > 0:12:53The first day of work, they set up some scaffolding and stripped down the back side of the roof.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58They took all the tiles off and put some sheeting over the top, plastic sheeting,
0:12:58 > 0:13:03so the water couldn't get in. They said they'd come next day to do the front of the roof.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08And the following two days to re-tile the roof and do the gutters and stuff.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10It would all be done in a week.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13After stripping all the tiles from Stephen's back roof,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Darrell Glyn was ready to spring his scam.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I gave the roofer £700 deposit.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25He said he needed money up front to buy the tiles and do the work.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29I was happy at the end of the first day that everything was underway.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34I just thought, business as usual. Tomorrow they'll come round and stick the tiles on.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37But this couldn't be further from the truth.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42A nightmare situation was about to ensue.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49The work was initially started in about September, October time, 2006.
0:13:49 > 0:13:56And after stripping away the tiles from the back half of the roof and putting the scaffolding up,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00the builder didn't actually turn up again till January.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05Stephen was left without a roof for four months, during the coldest part of the year.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10No matter how he tried, he couldn't get Darrell Glyn to return and finish the job.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13I'd made maybe about two or three phone calls a week.
0:14:13 > 0:14:19Most of the time when I'd call the roofer, I either didn't get through to him
0:14:19 > 0:14:21or got through to his answerphone.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23It was a bit horrific, really.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25It was during the winter months especially
0:14:25 > 0:14:28so the house was freezing.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Eventually, Stephen did the only thing he could do.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I'd got in touch with Trading Standards by this point.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38I think that's what gave him a kick up the backside to hurry him along.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Then he came back in January to continue the work.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45When Glyn came back, he carried out the tiling on Stephen's back roof.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49But he didn't care if Trading Standards were on to him or not.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52He just wanted more and more money.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Every time he came round to do a bit more work,
0:14:56 > 0:15:01or even one time he came round and didn't do any work,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05he'd show up and ask for more money because he wanted payment in instalments.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09So it would be two or three hundred pounds every time he showed up.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15It was only after four more months of badgering and heartache
0:15:15 > 0:15:17that the work was finished.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20By which time Glyn had trousered well over £2,500.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Stephen might have thought his troubles were over at last,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26but worse was still to come.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29One evening we were sat in the living room
0:15:29 > 0:15:32and we noticed a large bulge in the ceiling
0:15:32 > 0:15:35and some water dripping down.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40The water was coming in around the lighting fixture.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44So obviously it was really unsafe with it dripping round the electrics.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48I called the roofer. I think it was about seven in the evening.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53I said, "There's water coming in from my roof repair you've just done."
0:15:53 > 0:15:57At this point he said there'd be a call-out charge. I wasn't going to pay that
0:15:57 > 0:16:00but I insisted he come and fix it immediately.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04Glyn repaired the leak, preventing an electrocution disaster
0:16:04 > 0:16:09but Stephen was left to clear up the mess of roofing materials left in his front garden.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13A lot of the victims in this case were devastated by what had happened.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Not only because of the money they'd spent,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20but they had to spend further money to pay legitimate traders to put the house in order.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29In all, Darrell Glyn extorted £55,000 in less than two years
0:16:29 > 0:16:31from seven victims around North Yorkshire.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35He attempted to scam a further £23,000.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Ruth's team at Trading Standards pursued him for months
0:16:39 > 0:16:42and finally secured his conviction in February 2010.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50Mr Glyn did plead guilty to multiple counts of fraud. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54We proved he was fraudulent and took the money knowing he'd never do the work.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59Stephen's brush with Darrell Glyn left him with rather mixed feelings.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02I'm really disappointed that I got him to do the work.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Since then, I've had other work done on the house.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10Other workers I've found have been absolutely fine.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15I'm just really disappointed that I went with this roofer.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Later, the extraordinary story of a rogue tradesman
0:17:24 > 0:17:28banged up in London for his dirty tricks on a pensioner's driveway.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33He said he wanted another £10,000.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35£10,000. Outrageous!
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Plus Roger uses literally the most shocking tricks...
0:17:39 > 0:17:40Aghh!
0:17:40 > 0:17:44..to fake a fuse box meltdown that will cost hundreds to put right.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46I haven't had one like that for a while!
0:17:48 > 0:17:52But first, time to discover whether south London engineer Kevin
0:17:52 > 0:17:55swallows Roger's tall stories about the size of his gas leak.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Remember, there was a faint smell.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Ooh, look at that.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Roger was expecting to fake a leak, but he found a real one.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11He's played his latest trick, letting off a stink bomb to make it smell worse than it is
0:18:11 > 0:18:14to crank up his eventual bill.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19A Gas Safety engineer would usually cost 70 to £80 to repair a simple leak.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21But Roger wants at least three times that.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27What a terrible whiff! It's usually you who gets the blame!
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Even with total strangers in his cellar,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Kevin's still showing no interest. In fact, he's working upstairs.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38The boys have been here for 40 minutes and have free rein to do as they please,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41with only the family dog supervising.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46There's the pipe. It goes up there. You can see where it comes under the floor.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49So we need a bit of copper pipe.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Kevin's still nowhere in sight and I sense trick two is on its way.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Roger has grabbed an old piece of pipe from his tool bag.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03I'll muller this up and pretend it's a piece of pipe I've taken out of his house.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Sounds like Roger's coming up with an extra dirty trick.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10What I want to do is replace that pipe.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Except I don't want to replace it cos it's too much hassle.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17So I'm just going to take an old bit of pipe that I've bent up
0:19:17 > 0:19:23and I'm going to shove that into the guy's hand and say this is what I've replaced.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28And we'll leave the other bit. But if I wrap that in tape, he'll never know that's not the good pipe.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Hopefully, with a sleight of hand, and because he's not watching me,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and he can't get under there, I should succeed.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40You mean you're going to make Kevin think you've replaced the whole pipe.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44That should big up the bill. And with Kevin still in a different room,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Roger's right that this should be an easy trick to pull off.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Oh, dear, are you all right, doggie?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56And so begins their latest dirty trick.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Unbelievable! He's busy making repair sounds
0:20:08 > 0:20:10but not actually doing any work!
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Householder Kevin is still not paying any attention.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19If only he was keeping an eye on them, he'd realise that a catalogue of dirty tricks
0:20:19 > 0:20:22is being played right under his feet!
0:20:22 > 0:20:25As for Roger, he has only one thing on his mind.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28# Money, money, money. #
0:20:28 > 0:20:30At long last, Kevin returns.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34It's Roger's cue to flannel him with extraordinary stories
0:20:34 > 0:20:36of how he's repaired this tricky leak.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39He claims it was the fault of a previous tradesman.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42What he did is he pulled it under and just went, "Ooom".
0:20:42 > 0:20:45He yanked it up and thought, "Oh, I've kinked it."
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It wasn't good.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Kevin really is a man of few words.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I wonder what he'll say when Roger presents him with a bill?
0:20:52 > 0:20:55He's going to have to stump up big money.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57I'll turn the gas back on.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Make sure it's all nice and safe.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Today, Kevin Dixon let a real stinker of a tradesman into his house.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Roger fixed a real gas leak but then played dirty tricks.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14Creating smells and substituting pipes, now he's ready to spring his last trick -
0:21:14 > 0:21:17overcharging with a massive repair bill.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19So how will Kevin react?
0:21:21 > 0:21:23How much do I owe you?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Um... Including the call out...
0:21:26 > 0:21:29- Are you paying cash, by the way? - Yeah.- Is it cash?- Yeah.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31It's 270 quid, please.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Hmm. Not impressed.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Sorry it's so much, but we have to take all these courses, now!
0:21:36 > 0:21:41Qualifications aside, £270 isn't bad for 40 minutes work
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and handing over a piece of bent pipe.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45But Kevin's really taking his time.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I'm just cleaning my hands up now.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Giving him a chance to get the dosh.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Amazingly, it takes ten minutes for Kevin to find the cash.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Sorry, mate. Are you there?
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Sorry.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59What did you do, print it?
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Careful, Roger. You've got quite a nerve.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09£270 handed over for a job that should have only cost around £70.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11A £200 profit.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13For less than an hour's work.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Thanks very much. You'll have no trouble from that. Cheers.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20With Roger out of the picture,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23it's time for our producer to break the news that Kevin's been conned
0:22:23 > 0:22:26and that he needs a proper gas safety check.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30- Hello, there.- Hello.- Hi.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35We're from the BBC. We're doing some investigations in the area.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37We've been chatting to your neighbours
0:22:37 > 0:22:42and asking if they've had any experiences with painters or plumbers
0:22:42 > 0:22:45who've done jobs that you're not too happy with.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49No, I can't say I have. I've just had a plumber here.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Do you mind me asking what he did?
0:22:51 > 0:22:53He had to replace a gas pipe.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56I thought the bill was rather expensive.
0:22:56 > 0:23:02We've had reports that they've been going into people's houses and doing various jobs
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- and not actually doing very much. Trying to scam them.- Right!
0:23:05 > 0:23:08OK. Well, I've just been scammed, then!
0:23:08 > 0:23:09But, er...
0:23:09 > 0:23:13I was expecting someone from the gas company to come.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18Time for Kevin's wife Kathy to reveal her part in setting him up.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It's a wind up!
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Kevin isn't "gonna" let her forget this in a hurry.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27We gave her a hard hat in case you hit her on the head!
0:23:27 > 0:23:29It's all hot and sweaty, let me tell you!
0:23:30 > 0:23:32'Roger was very convincing.'
0:23:32 > 0:23:37He had the right patter. He's obviously been trained in that business.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41So, yeah, he was good.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44You were quite a happy man until we charged you the money!
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- Then I saw your face go a little bit...- Yeah.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49'Ask to always check credentials.'
0:23:49 > 0:23:54Check the people you've got coming to your house are who they say they are.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Would you be happier if I gave you the money back?
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- I'm happy anyway cos... - Give me the money back!
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Be with them all the time. Don't go and sit in another room.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Be in the same room to see they're doing what they say they are.
0:24:07 > 0:24:13Truth revealed, money returned. But Roger, what about that genuine gas leak?
0:24:13 > 0:24:18What I've got to tell you now, seriously, is contact the National Gas Safety Helpline.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21They will recommend a Gas Safe engineer.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Not me, because I'm frankly just a cowboy! All right?
0:24:27 > 0:24:32You can rest assured Kevin and Kathy had a Gas Safe registered engineer
0:24:32 > 0:24:34around the next day to deal with their leak.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37But what should you do in that situation to avoid a con?
0:24:38 > 0:24:44Obviously only use Gas Safe registered engineers. And check their ID.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46If you suspect a gas man working illegally
0:24:46 > 0:24:49report it to Gas Safe. They will investigate.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Finally, if in doubt, keep them out!
0:24:56 > 0:25:01There were nearly 2,000 accidental house fires in 2008
0:25:01 > 0:25:03which were the result of dodgy wiring.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06A genuine statistic like that is the kind of scare tactic
0:25:06 > 0:25:11that a rogue electrician might use to con you into unnecessary fuse box repairs.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15That's just what Roger has in mind as he visits his next consumer.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Miles Buckridge from Middlesex is a travel agent who's asking Roger to pay a visit
0:25:21 > 0:25:23to his little brother.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Drew is a manager in a call centre.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28He's a nice guy. He's pretty grumpy at times.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31He has an innate distrust of tradesmen as well.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34He likes to think he's not that gullible
0:25:34 > 0:25:37but if someone's good enough they can pull one over on him.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40The brothers have been left in charge of the family home
0:25:40 > 0:25:42while the parents are away.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Miles is pretending the kitchen appliances are giving off electric shocks
0:25:46 > 0:25:49so Drew needs to wait in for an electrician.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54There's nothing wrong with their electrics, but Roger has plenty of tricks lined up
0:25:54 > 0:25:58to persuade him that there is and take him for as much cash as possible.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- What have you got there? - I've got earth cable
0:26:02 > 0:26:05and a safety electrical connector that goes on the end of the cable.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10Those are earthing tags which you can buy for about ten for £3.00.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14And a bit of cable like this, not too much money.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17So our investment in this is very low. Except for one thing.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Out of the magic shop, for about five quid,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22I've got this little device.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Now, when I touch the sockets...
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Ooh, that frightened me. That's going to let that little spark.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36So Roger will fake a problem with the electrics using the gadget from a magic shop.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41He'll use whatever he can find on his van to fake up a solution.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Once he's done that, don't be surprised if he tries one of the oldest tricks in the book -
0:26:45 > 0:26:47overcharge.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53The typical cost to diagnose and fix a simple electrical fault
0:26:53 > 0:26:55should be no more than around £200.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58But our trickster is planning to more than double this,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01conjuring up a magical £500 bill.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06Roger and Luke arrive at the boys' house just before 6.30pm.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- Hello.- Electrics, my friend.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Yeah. I don't know much about it.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15His brother was right. Drew is a nice guy.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20Very trusting. He hasn't asked for any ID. He's just let them straight into the house.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22That's in here.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27There's been a couple of shocks elsewhere in the house.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Probably because you've got so much juice in it!
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Orange juice in the meter. Very funny, Roger.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36How about the job at hand, Drew?
0:27:36 > 0:27:39I'd better not touch it too much before I...
0:27:39 > 0:27:41I'll just go and get a meter.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Roger needs to do a few safety checks so he needs his wattage meter,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49a gadget which measures the power supply and can help diagnose any problems.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Let's get some tests run on it.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59Roger's more than ready for his first trick, his magic sparking device.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01It's hidden in his right hand.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Let's just have a look at this. What's this device?
0:28:04 > 0:28:06That's the doorbell thing.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Oh. All right.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Don't think it's on.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Pay close attention to Roger's right hand.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17Stand back and watch an Oscar-winning performance!
0:28:21 > 0:28:22BLEEP
0:28:24 > 0:28:27I'm not going to touch it. I'll turn it off.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Haven't had one like that for a while!
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- That's mental.- Let me just give it a little test.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Oh, dear!
0:28:36 > 0:28:38He's good, isn't he? That was quite a trick.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43His dirty tricks seem to be going very well so far.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46That should have gone off, that RCD, when that happened.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51OK, that worked absolutely perfectly.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55He was standing next to me when I did it with the magic ring.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58The spark came out and he saw it and jumped back as well.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00That was fantastic.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04Now, our trickster hasn't come here just to put on a light show.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08He's here to create some jobs for himself so he can earn some money.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11That fuse box looks like a good place to start.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16When it sparks, it's supposed to trip that RCD straightaway.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20So if there's a fault, the RCD is supposed to do its job.
0:29:21 > 0:29:22And it wasn't doing its job.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Hang on. There's nothing wrong with the RCD.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30That's the trip switch in the fuse box to the likes of you and I.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33It didn't switch off because there isn't a problem.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35But Roger's fixing it anyway!
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Lovely. Yeah. That's good. That's good.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Right. Can we go and look at the gas meter?
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Uh-oh. That sounds expensive!
0:29:43 > 0:29:45Later in the show,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49will Roger persuade Drew into agreeing to even more unnecessary work?
0:29:49 > 0:29:52That gas pipe should be earthed. There's no earth on it.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57And how will our stunned consumer react when he finds out he's been scammed?
0:29:58 > 0:30:00That's what it was!
0:30:00 > 0:30:01A cheap toy.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11Now, fuse box scams are common. But they're beaten by tarmac-ing tricks.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16In 2009, there were more than 1,200 reported complaints
0:30:16 > 0:30:18about dodgy driveways.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Our next story concerns a ruthless rogue
0:30:21 > 0:30:23who was only brought to justice
0:30:23 > 0:30:24after a nationwide search.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27It just goes to show that crime doesn't pay.
0:30:27 > 0:30:32This is Felix Joseph Rooney, a serial conman
0:30:32 > 0:30:36who used cold calling, overcharging and intimidating behaviour
0:30:36 > 0:30:40to swindle his victims out of tens of thousands of pounds.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43He would knock on the doors of residents offering to do work
0:30:43 > 0:30:47for a really good price. Once the work had started, he'd inflate the price.
0:30:47 > 0:30:53In 2008, Rooney was plying his trade in the London Borough of Enfield.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57His victims were so distressed, only one would appear on camera
0:30:57 > 0:31:00providing her name and identity is disguised.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02So we'll call her Bess.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05When Rooney called, she was thinking of redoing her driveway.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09So his sudden appearance seemed like a stroke of good fortune.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14I was in the front garden and he stopped and started talking to me.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19He showed me a brochure showing the grey and yellow bricks
0:31:19 > 0:31:21which I liked.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25I agreed to have the garden done.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30He then gave me an invoice for £2,900.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36Ouch! For that amount of money, you'd expect work of the very highest standard
0:31:36 > 0:31:38on both the drive and the garden.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43Instead, Rooney's men littered Bess's land with hardcore waste.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46I had wanted to have a flower bed
0:31:46 > 0:31:51and that rubble made that impossible.
0:31:51 > 0:31:57It was full of glass, stones and broken slabs of concrete.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00And I was very upset.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05Ignoring her concerns, Rooney and his motley crew pressed on.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09They cleared the mess and finished the driveway using the grey and yellow bricks she wanted.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Job done, Rooney asked for payment.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Not for the original amount quoted
0:32:14 > 0:32:17but for £2,100 on top of that,
0:32:17 > 0:32:21making a grand total of £5,000.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23I said, "That's impossible."
0:32:23 > 0:32:27He said that I had chosen the best quality bricks
0:32:27 > 0:32:28and they are dearer.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I said, "You didn't tell me that at the time."
0:32:31 > 0:32:35He insisted that that was the price he wanted
0:32:35 > 0:32:37because he had to pay his men.
0:32:37 > 0:32:42It's often the case that they will come up with some reason, some excuse, for the price increase.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44It's absolutely unacceptable.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48Despicable, if you ask me. And £5,000 in cash?
0:32:48 > 0:32:50It's not exactly easy to come by.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54Bess's bank told her it would take time for it to be arranged.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Meanwhile, Rooney was growing impatient.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01Because it took more than 24 hours really
0:33:01 > 0:33:05for them to give me permission to draw that amount of money,
0:33:05 > 0:33:10he kept phoning me and wanting to know when he could come and collect it.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13I felt very intimidated.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17With £5,000 of Bess's precious savings now in his pocket,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Rooney was off, swindling other people using similar tricks.
0:33:21 > 0:33:26Meanwhile, Bess could have been forgiven for thinking she'd seen the back of him.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27Couldn't she?
0:33:27 > 0:33:33Once you've been targeted by these traders, they often come back again. They identify you as a target.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36So it's important you report these people as soon as possible.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Trading Standards can stop it happening.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41So it's no surprise that six months later,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Rooney called at Bess's a second time,
0:33:44 > 0:33:48determined to eke out every penny from this vulnerable pensioner.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Even though she'd been ripped off once before,
0:33:51 > 0:33:55Bess felt intimidated into hiring Rooney again.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57I have a retaining wall.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Every three or four years,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03if we have very bad winters, that wall cracks.
0:34:03 > 0:34:09So I asked him if his men could dismantle it
0:34:09 > 0:34:10and rebuild it.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14Bess was far from impressed with Rooney's work.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18This time the cheater told her the job would cost £4,000.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23Incredibly, even this amount would soon feel like small change.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27He said he wanted another £10,000.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32And I said no.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36I said, "Your work isn't worth it
0:34:36 > 0:34:39"and besides, I don't have that kind of money."
0:34:39 > 0:34:44He told me to go to the bank, he told me to get a loan,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46he told me what I should do.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49The intimidation wasn't limited to Bess.
0:34:49 > 0:34:55This and his persistent overcharging had brought him to the attention of Trading Standards and the police.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59We managed to see paperwork from a vehicle that was on site
0:34:59 > 0:35:01and once that was examined by the police,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04we found fingerprints on it which were matched to our suspect.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08We then had to start a nationwide manhunt to track him down.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12Felix Rooney proved to be a slippery customer to catch.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16But after two identity parades and the involvement of a private investigator,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18he was eventually apprehended.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22In February 2011 at London's Wood Green Crown Court,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26he was sentenced to 17 months behind bars for ripping off Bess
0:35:26 > 0:35:32and another victim to the tune of £7,700. Shocking.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37I was so upset I wasn't well
0:35:37 > 0:35:39for some time.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42It really did affect my health.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45There are real lessons to be learned from this case.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49It highlights the importance of not dealing with traders on the doorstep.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53If you need work doing to your property, then make sure you shop around
0:35:53 > 0:35:57get at least three quotes from different traders and then decide.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Make sure that you go to a reputable firm.
0:36:01 > 0:36:07The only thing that was true on the invoice
0:36:07 > 0:36:09was the mobile phone number.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13I find the whole episode extremely embarrassing.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18Trading Standards respects your confidentiality in all investigations.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21There's nothing to fear by reporting rogue activity.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25You could stop another consumer from becoming a victim.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28Now, what about that sparking fuse box in Middlesex?
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Right. Electrics.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34Drew Buckridge was set up by his brother Miles
0:36:34 > 0:36:38who told him their kitchen appliances were giving him electric shocks.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41When Roger arrived, he used a simple gadget to persuade Drew
0:36:41 > 0:36:43the problem is real and serious.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Building on his award-winning performance,
0:36:49 > 0:36:53Roger's plan has been to fix the earth on the electrical fuse box.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55That's good. That's good.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Now he's trying to persuade Drew there's a problem with the gas meter too.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03I ought to check the earth on it just to make sure it's OK.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05The gas meter is in the garage.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09I don't want you to take loads of stuff out.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11I think they're going to have to, Roger.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13The meter's right at the back.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15I just want to get to the corner.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22It's very unusual. That gas pipe should be earthed. There's no earth on there.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25They're normally on the meter there.
0:37:25 > 0:37:31Roger, you know full well that the gas meter is already earthed.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33Just as it should be.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35The work is completely unnecessary!
0:37:35 > 0:37:38I'm just going to whack one on it, Luke, just to make sure.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41I don't expect it will be too long before Roger works out
0:37:41 > 0:37:44another dirty trick he can play.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49To be fair to Drew, there aren't many consumers who'd recognise an earthing wire on their meter
0:37:49 > 0:37:52so our trickster's on pretty safe ground.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Ignorance is bliss to every good con man.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06I've put the earth wires on there.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Connected them up. None of that needed doing,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12but it all looks good. It's taken less than an hour.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Now I'm not going to put the electrics back on until he's paid me.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19So when he pays me, I'll flick the switch.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24If he doesn't want to pay me, we'll drive away and he won't have any electrics.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26See how that goes.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30While Luke helps Drew put the garage back together,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Roger calculates the bill.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36And how much can he get away with?
0:38:36 > 0:38:39It's 475 in all.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Four hundred and seventy-five pounds?!
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Now that's magic.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46- OK with a cheque? - Have you got any cash?
0:38:46 > 0:38:48I don't know how much cash we've got.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55Today, Drew Buckridge let a rogue electrician into his home.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57He fell for Roger's spark trick
0:38:57 > 0:39:00and gave him free rein to solve the problem.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Roger pretended to fix both the fuse box and the gas meter.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Two totally unnecessary jobs.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10Drew didn't question the work and now he faces a shocking bill
0:39:10 > 0:39:13for work which never actually happened.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15I'll have to write you a cheque.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19OK, I don't mind a bit of cheque, bit of cash.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21It's nice to have a bit of cash.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23- I've got 160 in cash.- OK.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Unbelievable.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Drew doesn't seem to be questioning the bill at all.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31He's even going out of his way to help the conman
0:39:31 > 0:39:35by finding as much of the payment in hard cash as he can.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37And there it is.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40£475 for a quick magic show
0:39:40 > 0:39:42and less than an hour's work.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Drew's made our trickster's day.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47But at least he's doing the right thing here.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Can I use your back?
0:39:49 > 0:39:53He's getting a signed invoice as proof of payment.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58Well done. Although, knowing Roger, it probably isn't worth the paper it's written on!
0:39:58 > 0:40:00I'll just go and do your fuse box.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Happy with the result, Roger can now switch the electricity back on.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07That's all up and running now.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Before making a very quick getaway.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Thank you. Cheers.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Bye-bye.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20With the dodgy double-act off the scene,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24it's time for our producer to reveal the truth to Drew.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Ooh!
0:40:26 > 0:40:31- Hello, there.- Hi.- Sorry to disturb you. We're from the BBC.- Yeah.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- We've been doing some investigations in the area.- OK.
0:40:34 > 0:40:39Into people who've had experiences with various plumbers, electricians...
0:40:39 > 0:40:41You mean the guys who were just here?
0:40:41 > 0:40:47They were here to fix some faulty electrician work from before.
0:40:47 > 0:40:48But it's all fixed.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50- Did you pay much for it?- Yeah.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- Did you give them any cash?- Yeah.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- Did you get a receipt? - Yeah. An invoice, yeah.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03One of them... We didn't have a lot of cash on us. But he wanted part cash, part cheque.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06He got a cheque for most of it but cash was involved as well.
0:41:06 > 0:41:12It's likely he didn't do what he said he'd do. It's likely he didn't do much at all.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17Right. First impressions were that it was obviously expensive.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- But I don't know.- There they are!
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Time to let Drew off the hook!
0:41:23 > 0:41:24What?!
0:41:24 > 0:41:28And reveal that he's been set up with the help of his brother Miles.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32You gave me the funniest look when you plugged the plug in.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35When you got the shock. You went like that.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39I was like, "He did that purposely. What's going on?"
0:41:39 > 0:41:42- When I went like that? - That's what it was!
0:41:42 > 0:41:44A cheap toy!
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Roger was very convincing in what he did.
0:41:46 > 0:41:52The spark kind of threw us and showed us what we thought the problem was.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55So, yeah, very good.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58I'm quite impressed you actually gave him the money.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01- But you said you got a shock off the plug last week!- I'm sorry.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05You've had me going for about three weeks!
0:42:05 > 0:42:08When it dawned on me I might have been scammed, my heart was racing.
0:42:08 > 0:42:13I didn't know what to think. Did I follow them round the house, or leave them alone?
0:42:13 > 0:42:17Did we have anything out on the side like wallets or laptops at all?
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Drew learned not to be so trusting today.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23But what else has he taken away from Roger's antics?
0:42:23 > 0:42:27When I got the invoice, it was pricey for what they were here for.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29That's a waste of a cheque!
0:42:29 > 0:42:32The fact he asked for mainly cash rather than a cheque.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35That was a bit of an alarm bell.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39We don't tend to carry cash around the house at all ever.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42I should have demanded that he be paid solely with a cheque.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Thanks for taking it so well, Drew.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Remember, the vast majority of tradesmen are honest and hard-working.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52It's only a very few who play dirty tricks.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55The crucial thing is, remember, if in doubt, keep them out!
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Thanks for watching. See you next time.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd