0:00:02 > 0:00:04Here's a problem that gets right under your skin!
0:00:04 > 0:00:06From the day they turned up on the doorstep,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08all they wanted was to make money.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13Sadly, this is a crime, which is just getting worse and worse!
0:00:13 > 0:00:16The lengths this type of criminal go to is quite staggering.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21Unfortunately, it tends to be the most vulnerable people who take the brunt of it all.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26He'd taken the most precious things that I still had from my husband.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31Anything from rogue trade rip-off merchants to con artists who strike at your front door
0:00:31 > 0:00:33and we're united against them.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36I think doorstep crime is a very serious crime.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39It's taking advantage of vulnerable people in their homes.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42It needs to be stopped abruptly, here and now.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45We really want to put a stop to doorstep crime
0:00:45 > 0:00:48and name and shame the culprits!
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We've been filming all over the UK
0:00:52 > 0:00:54with award-winning police and Trading Standards teams
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and we've been hearing from you,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59face to face and by letters and e-mails,
0:00:59 > 0:01:04helping us in our campaign to shut out these cold calling con merchants.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08On today's programme, find out how a pair of heartless con men
0:01:08 > 0:01:12got their just desserts after scamming vulnerable consumers
0:01:12 > 0:01:15with their overpriced mobility scooters.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19I asked him why he'd sold my father a scooter at the price that he had
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and his response was, "Because I can," and he put the phone down.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Plus, I meet a lovely lady
0:01:24 > 0:01:27whose good nature almost led to a roofing rip off!
0:01:29 > 0:01:32How can you feel sorry for people who were scamming you?
0:01:32 > 0:01:36I don't know, I don't know. Just a weak moment, I suppose.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39And we're on the case with North Yorkshire Trading Standards
0:01:39 > 0:01:43as they throw the book at a drain company.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47What we have here is CCTV footage inside Mr and Mrs Morris's drain.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51This trader had told the Morris's that he had removed all root growth from this drain
0:01:51 > 0:01:54when that's actually clearly not the case.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Hello and a here's thanks for all your e-mails
0:02:02 > 0:02:04that I'm glad to say are still flooding in!
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Now, both Brian Worsley in Swansea and Rachel Sharp in Melton Mowbray
0:02:08 > 0:02:11have written to say that things would be so much easier
0:02:11 > 0:02:14if there was a law to stop cold callers
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and I have to say that is a very popular view.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20But we shouldn't forget that law enforcement agencies
0:02:20 > 0:02:23are doing their very best to stop this type of activity.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26For instance, North Yorkshire Trading Standards,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29who are determined to pull the plug on a very dodgy trade.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36It's November 2011 and Ruth Andrews, the local Trading Standards officer,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39is at court for the trial of Julian Donoher -
0:02:39 > 0:02:45a businessman who claimed to run a reputable drain clearance firm.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46In fact, he was a con man
0:02:46 > 0:02:49who thought nothing of defrauding dozens of unsuspecting people
0:02:49 > 0:02:52out of many thousands of pounds.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54So, we're at Teesside Crown Court today
0:02:54 > 0:02:56to see whether Julian Matthew Donoher is going to plead guilty
0:02:56 > 0:02:59to multiple offences we've charged him with
0:02:59 > 0:03:03for ripping off many people in relation to drainage work
0:03:03 > 0:03:05and made them miserable.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09It was the beautiful and affluent spa town of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire,
0:03:09 > 0:03:14which became a target for one of Donoher's most audacious scams.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17He advertised his services all across the UK
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and one of his victims was former teacher Jane Morris,
0:03:20 > 0:03:25a clued up lady who found herself taken in by this dodgy trader.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27'Every year we have to clear the drains'
0:03:27 > 0:03:32because the leaves can congest by the cellar door and can back up
0:03:32 > 0:03:34so we have a flooded cellar if we're not careful.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40But in the winter of 2010 the drain suffered one blockage after another.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41Having backed up from here,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44you get a complete flood all the way round here
0:03:44 > 0:03:47and it goes through the door. After I'd cleared it up one day,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51the next time I came down there was just no way that I was going to do it again
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and that's when we decided that we had to get some help.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58But Jane was about to embark upon a very expensive journey.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03Enter a dodgy drains firm, run by the aforementioned Julian Donoher.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05He was more than happy to rip people off.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09They worked quite quickly and very fast
0:04:09 > 0:04:13but they seemed to be efficient and charming
0:04:13 > 0:04:17and I paid the cheque for £330, which they requested.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Now, clearing a drain should only cost around £65
0:04:21 > 0:04:25but Jane had been charged almost five times that.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28With hindsight I now know it's far too much for the job
0:04:28 > 0:04:29but I didn't know then.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32As we all know, hindsight is a wonderful thing.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Later we'll find out about more of the con tricks that Donoher's company played on Jane,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and we'll discover what his punishment will be
0:04:40 > 0:04:44when the court reaches its decision.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I have to say I just LOVE this technology!
0:04:47 > 0:04:52Hello, my name's Vivienne Spence, I want to tell you what happened to me.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Two young men came to the door,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59very presentable, dressed well and...
0:04:59 > 0:05:01they scammed me.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07They gave false references and they really had me over like a kipper.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Thanks for all of that, Vivienne,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11we'll come back to you a bit later on in the programme
0:05:11 > 0:05:13but first, a story from Nottinghamshire
0:05:13 > 0:05:18which shows the depths some doorstep con men will sink to,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21just to extort money from vulnerable consumers.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Like lots of other UK towns, the residents of Nottingham
0:05:26 > 0:05:30have had to contend with their fair share of doorstep crime.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32In this case a cruel father and son team
0:05:32 > 0:05:36who've managed to swindle dozens of people to the tune of,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39wait for it, £31,000.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43People like that just, they just absolutely astound me.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45They didn't care who they victimised,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48it was all about generating income for them.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52One person who's been seriously affected by these doorstep con men
0:05:52 > 0:05:53is Jacqueline O'Brien.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57In January 2009 her 86-year-old dad Charles
0:05:57 > 0:06:00was visited by a company called Nottingham Mobility -
0:06:00 > 0:06:04not to be confused with reputable companies of the same name -
0:06:04 > 0:06:08they were offering to sell him a new disability scooter.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11We first came into contact with Nottingham Mobility
0:06:11 > 0:06:13when my father needed one of his scooters,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16that he already had, servicing.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20He has quite chronic arthritis, he gets confused,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24he's unsteady on his feet, hence needing a mobility scooter,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26but just trusting.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Unfortunately, Jacqueline's dad proved the perfect quarry
0:06:30 > 0:06:32for these particular rogue traders.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Paul Gretton leads the East Midlands Scambusters,
0:06:36 > 0:06:41a team of Trading Standards officers who track rogue traders right across county borders
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and who know, only too well, the type of scam
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Nottingham Mobility was involved in.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Typically they would cold call victims by telephone,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54visit them in their homes and sell them a variety of mobility aids.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Anything from a walking stick to a stair lift.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59They had no qualifications or any specialist knowledge,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04so they would sell whatever they wanted to buy from them whether it was appropriate or not.
0:07:04 > 0:07:10It wasn't long before Nottingham Mobility set their sights on Jacqueline's dad.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12He'd been cold called by Laurence Johnson,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17who enticed him into paying £3,210 for a new scooter.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19When Jacqueline spoke to her dad a couple of days later
0:07:19 > 0:07:23it became clear that something was up.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26I asked my father how much he'd written a cheque for
0:07:26 > 0:07:28and he had said he couldn't remember.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32And then I looked at the cheque stub, in my dad's cheque book,
0:07:32 > 0:07:38and realised it actually wasn't his writing that was on the cheque stub.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Suspicious at the strange writing on the cheque
0:07:40 > 0:07:42and the amount of money her dad had paid,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Jacqueline rang Laurence Johnson posing as a potential customer.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52So, I called him four or five times not telling him who I was
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and on every quotation he quoted me a totally different price
0:07:55 > 0:07:57to the one that he charged my father.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Eventually I did tell him who I was
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and asked him why he had sold my father a scooter
0:08:03 > 0:08:04at the price that he had
0:08:04 > 0:08:08and his response was, "Because I can," and he put the phone down.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11On any level, absolutely outrageous.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16In fact, the scooter should have cost Jacqueline's dad £1,695
0:08:16 > 0:08:19so he'd paid over twice what it was worth!
0:08:21 > 0:08:24After threats of legal action from her solicitor were ignored,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Jacqueline decided to take matters into her own hands
0:08:27 > 0:08:29and contacted the local newspaper,
0:08:29 > 0:08:34which is when she received a visit from another member of the Johnson family,
0:08:34 > 0:08:35Laurence's father, Shane.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39He came to my home and met with me,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43said that he was absolutely disappointed in his son,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45said he'd got no people skills,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48that he would reimburse my father the difference
0:08:48 > 0:08:53between what the scooter could be sold at, at £1,600,
0:08:53 > 0:08:54to what my father paid for it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59Great result! So, Charles was about to get a refund of £1,600.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Well, guess what?
0:09:02 > 0:09:04No money was reimbursed,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07although Jacqueline's Dad did get a one year service cover
0:09:07 > 0:09:09worth a paltry £70!
0:09:09 > 0:09:12So, the time had come to call Trading Standards,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15who soon made an unfortunate discovery.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18One of the officers was actually at my father's flat
0:09:18 > 0:09:22and discovered that he'd bought another scooter
0:09:22 > 0:09:24from a different mobility company
0:09:24 > 0:09:28but the Trading Standards Officer actually recognised it as being
0:09:28 > 0:09:30the same company under a different name.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Unbelievable!
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Not content with conning Charles out of over £1,600
0:09:36 > 0:09:38for a scooter he didn't need,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42those charming Johnsons had returned just months later to rip him off again
0:09:42 > 0:09:46to the tune of well over £3,000.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49For Jacqueline it was the final straw.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53This feisty lady was so furious she put aside any thoughts of personal safety
0:09:53 > 0:09:56and went to the Johnson's home for a showdown
0:09:56 > 0:09:58determined to claim back the thousands of pounds
0:09:58 > 0:10:00they'd stung her dad for.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Mr Johnson tried to tell me that
0:10:03 > 0:10:05my father knew exactly what he was doing,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09that there was no pressure selling in any way, shape or form.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I was getting very cross at the arrogant manner of him,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16that he was just disregarding everything that we were saying,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19could absolutely see that he'd done no wrong whatsoever,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23while he's sat in his beautiful home telling me he didn't rip people off.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Before she left the house, Johnson senior promised Jacqueline that
0:10:27 > 0:10:30he would reimburse her dad's money in instalments.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35But, you've guessed it, after just two payments it all went quiet.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Trading Standards were on the Johnson's trail
0:10:38 > 0:10:42and they soon learned that their victims were helping to fund
0:10:42 > 0:10:44a very lavish lifestyle indeed.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46We discovered, for example,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48that they'd been driving a Maserati and a Porsche,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50which they'd leased, which were very expensive cars
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and they needed to generate enough income to pay for things like that.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57The only way they could keep this lifestyle going for any period of time
0:10:57 > 0:11:00was simply to go to the victims, take their cash off them
0:11:00 > 0:11:01and not supply the product.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05So, it left a lot of people in a sad state indeed.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Well, after an extraordinary two-and-a-half-year struggle
0:11:10 > 0:11:16an exhausted Jacqueline was finally able to see this pair of door stepping deceivers in court.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Shane Johnson and his son Laurence were jailed for 12 months
0:11:19 > 0:11:24for their heartless £31,000 scam.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26I think the important thing here is it's sent out a message
0:11:26 > 0:11:29to other traders in this market
0:11:29 > 0:11:31that they have to trade honestly and decently
0:11:31 > 0:11:34because we don't want more of these cases, we want less of them.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38We want the good companies and for the bad people to be off the streets.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Fighting back against these con men has been difficult
0:11:41 > 0:11:44but ultimately satisfying for Jacqueline
0:11:44 > 0:11:50and she's keen that others don't fall prey to doorstep criminals like her father did.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53There are, and I know there are, a lot of reputable companies out there
0:11:53 > 0:11:57and I suggest that people check them out before they purchase anything from them.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Later we hear another shocking story,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07when this lady found herself conned into roof repairs she didn't need.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Do you think this would've happened if your husband were here?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It would never have happened, no, without a doubt.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22I've had an encouraging e-mail from Tim Page of Sussex.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Like hundreds of people all over the country,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27he's a local Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator
0:12:27 > 0:12:30and he points out that in large rural areas
0:12:30 > 0:12:32it's very hard to keep tabs on everyone
0:12:32 > 0:12:34but local knowledge is crucial.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And he runs an e-mail and phone system every day
0:12:37 > 0:12:39to keep people as safe as he can.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43I think that's utterly brilliant, Tim, keep up the good work!
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Well, now it's time to return to North Yorkshire
0:12:45 > 0:12:48and discover what other cons lay in store
0:12:48 > 0:12:50for former teacher Jane Morris,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53when crooks tackled her house drains
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Now, if you remember, back in the winter of 2010,
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Julian Donoher charged Jane Morris almost five times the going rate
0:13:02 > 0:13:04to unblock her drains.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06She thought that would be the end of it
0:13:06 > 0:13:09but, a week later, her drains blocked again.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13So Donoher returned to make sure the job was properly fixed.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15'They said, "We'd better put a camera down.".'
0:13:15 > 0:13:18They showed me what the camera showed,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21which was that there were lots of roots down,
0:13:21 > 0:13:27said they'd need to put resin down the pipes so they could resolve it but it would cost £5,500.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I said, "That's an awful lot of money,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31"could we get it cheaper somewhere else?",
0:13:31 > 0:13:34and they said, "Oh, that's the rate for the job.".
0:13:34 > 0:13:36And they were so charming and convincing
0:13:36 > 0:13:39that I'm afraid I believed them.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45Pardon me? £5,500 to put resin down a pipe?! Extraordinary!
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Though she sensed something was wrong,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Jane regrets not acting on her instincts
0:13:50 > 0:13:54because it gave Donoher the chance to set up his most devious con yet
0:13:54 > 0:13:57but first he had to lay the groundwork.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01The men were there for four days digging.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04It was an enormous hole and very hard work.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09We weren't really suspicious because we didn't know where the pipe was
0:14:09 > 0:14:13and they couldn't find it, we thought they were doing the best they could.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16They kept digging for three days, I think,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and all the time I was giving them tea and coffee
0:14:19 > 0:14:21and home-made cakes and things
0:14:21 > 0:14:26because it was nasty weather and they needed a bit of support, I thought.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30The workmen said they were having difficulty locating the damaged drain
0:14:30 > 0:14:32so they ended up digging a 12 foot hole in the garden
0:14:32 > 0:14:37but on the fourth day they seemed to have sorted the problem.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39I went to see them
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and was surprised that they appeared to be in-filling the hole.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46And said, "Have you found the pipe then?", to which they didn't answer
0:14:46 > 0:14:53but from behind the gate, a fellow held up a section of pipe, with the resin in, with yellow resin in,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57and said, "Oh, it dries very quickly once you, once you put it in."
0:14:57 > 0:15:01And with hindsight, I realise they didn't answer my question about whether they'd found the pipe
0:15:01 > 0:15:06but anyway, within an hour they'd filled up and put the new paving back down
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and had come to ask me for the cheque.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13So, Jane paid the full £5,500 in two cheques
0:15:13 > 0:15:17and decided to try and claim the job from her insurance company,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20but nothing could have prepared her for the shocks that lay in store
0:15:20 > 0:15:23when they came to assess the tradesmen's work.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27Well, I hope you can stay with us
0:15:27 > 0:15:32because Jane's experiences are a real eye-opener for us all
0:15:32 > 0:15:37but first, I have an appointment with Vivienne, whom we saw earlier in that video.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Now, Trading Standards were able to help her deal with problem roofers
0:15:41 > 0:15:43all thanks to a mystery benefactor
0:15:44 > 0:15:48During the bitterly cold winter of 2010,
0:15:48 > 0:15:5275-year-old widow Vivienne Spence had no idea that rogue traders
0:15:52 > 0:15:56were operating in her beautiful home county of Buckinghamshire.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Sadly, it's something that Timothy Day
0:15:59 > 0:16:04of the County Council Trading Standards department is all too aware of.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05We estimate that, per year,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08there's roughly £5 million of consumer detriment
0:16:08 > 0:16:10caused by this type of crime.
0:16:10 > 0:16:11That doesn't factor in additional costs,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13such as remedying the work
0:16:13 > 0:16:16where it was of such a poor quality it needed redoing.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19The statistics are shocking, to say the least,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21so I've come to find out exactly what happened
0:16:21 > 0:16:25when a rogue roofing company came knocking at Vivienne's door.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29So, Vivienne, take me back to that day when those guys came to call,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31where were you, what exactly were you doing?
0:16:31 > 0:16:33I was just around the house, really,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35and I went to the door, I opened it up,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39and I saw these young men who looked very clean and nice.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42So, what did they say to you about doing work around your house?
0:16:42 > 0:16:45They said my roof needed seeing to and it was a mess
0:16:45 > 0:16:49and that they'd take the moss off for me and it all needed tidying up.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51So, I thought, "Fair enough."
0:16:51 > 0:16:53What did they quote you originally?
0:16:53 > 0:16:55About £900, I think.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58It was a lot of money and I said, "I can't possibly afford that."
0:16:58 > 0:17:02I just wasn't going to pay that sort of money.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08As her late husband Stan handled everything to do with the upkeep of the home,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Vivienne was incredibly susceptible to being ripped off
0:17:11 > 0:17:17but, to her credit, even she knew that £900 just to remove some moss and repoint a few bricks
0:17:17 > 0:17:19was an extortionate amount of money.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23so she stood firm and negotiated a price that she was happy to pay.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Eventually they agreed on £550.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I, sort of, got into conversation with them
0:17:29 > 0:17:33and they said they could furnish me with references, which I requested.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35What kind of references did they give you?
0:17:35 > 0:17:37One was a written reference...
0:17:37 > 0:17:40and the other one was just a telephone reference,
0:17:40 > 0:17:41so I was quite happy.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45- Did you telephone this person? - Yes, I did. I spoke to this gentleman
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and he said, "Oh, yes, they're very nice guys.".
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Did you not think that it could just be a scam?
0:17:51 > 0:17:55I thought they were young, starting out in business, give 'em a break.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Did they give you a written contract of any kind?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Yes, they did, they gave me this piece of paper,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I can't remember exactly what it was
0:18:03 > 0:18:06but I was quite satisfied that they were going to do the job.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09As a good natured soul who sees the best in everybody,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Vivienne had been reeled in hook, line and sinker
0:18:12 > 0:18:14by these door-stepping charmers.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Unfortunately, it's something that happens far too often.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20Traders will deliberately target people
0:18:20 > 0:18:23they think can get away with this kind of thing with,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27so this tends to be the people who generally don't know the price of home improvement work
0:18:27 > 0:18:29or can't check the work for themselves.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Particularly with roofing work, if they're working on houses
0:18:32 > 0:18:34where people have, perhaps, got a disability
0:18:34 > 0:18:38or they're elderly or any way they can't check the work for themselves
0:18:38 > 0:18:42then there's a certain amount of trust and the traders can easily exploit it.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Vivienne's experience of these opportunistic scam merchants was no different.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Within a matter of minutes of answering her door,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52they'd gained her trust, pressured her into a contract
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and now work was about to commence.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Had they actually carried out a big inspection?
0:18:58 > 0:19:01I mean, were you clear in your mind that they had inspected it...?
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Well, yes, they'd had a look and that was all really I...
0:19:05 > 0:19:07You know, I just trusted them.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12It's a sad fact but rogues like this will use any means necessary to gain your confidence,
0:19:12 > 0:19:18so you need to be on your guard, no matter who comes knocking on your door.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20The lengths that this type of criminal will go to
0:19:20 > 0:19:22are, in some instances, quite staggering.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24We've had reports that they've turned up on a door
0:19:24 > 0:19:27pretending to be police officers or council officials,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29people from the water board...
0:19:29 > 0:19:33They've shown crucifixes and told householders that they're very religious
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and that they'd always do a good deal.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Now, I gather that a neighbour then got involved,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41so what do you now understand happened?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Well, I believe the neighbour got in touch with the police.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Why was that? Had he seen something...?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Well, he obviously didn't like what was going on up there
0:19:48 > 0:19:51and he was looking after my interests.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56As well as the police, this eagle-eyed neighbour also called Trading Standards.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Thanks to this quick thinking Timothy was able to take action
0:19:59 > 0:20:02while the scam was still taking place.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05We responded straight away because we knew the traders were onsite,
0:20:05 > 0:20:10it offered us the opportunity not only to reassure and protect the consumer in this issue
0:20:10 > 0:20:12but also to speak directly with the traders.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Upon arrival, it quickly became clear that these tradesmen
0:20:16 > 0:20:18were neither skilled nor honest.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20The standard of work was pretty shoddy
0:20:20 > 0:20:23but what struck me most was that it was completely unnecessary.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25The pointing was fine as it was,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28so there was no need for any repointing
0:20:28 > 0:20:31and certainly brushing moss off the roof
0:20:31 > 0:20:33was not anywhere in the region of the amount
0:20:33 > 0:20:35that was being charged by the trader.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It also transpired that the contract Vivienne had been given
0:20:38 > 0:20:41wasn't worth the paper it was written on.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43It was handwritten,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47a lot of what they'd agreed to undertake hadn't been noted down on a contract
0:20:47 > 0:20:52and they hadn't done what they needed to do in law in terms of providing cancellation rights.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55The reason cancellation rights are so important is it allows
0:20:55 > 0:20:58consumers the ability to take a view, get different quotes
0:20:58 > 0:21:02and decide for themselves without the pressure of trader being on the doorstep.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06By law we're allowed a seven day cooling off period
0:21:06 > 0:21:09for goods or services sold to us in our homes.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13To waiver this period Vivienne would have needed to do so in writing
0:21:13 > 0:21:15but as she hadn't been asked for any signature,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19she didn't HAVE to pay the rogues a penny which was good news.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24Incredibly though, she still felt that she owed them something.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Now, what happened to the work they had done
0:21:26 > 0:21:28and the money that you'd promised to pay?
0:21:28 > 0:21:33I felt that they had done a job and I felt sorry for them in a way.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38But how could you feel sorry for people who were scamming you?
0:21:38 > 0:21:42I don't know, I don't know - a weak moment, I suppose.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- So, I gave them a token amount. - How much?
0:21:45 > 0:21:46300.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Do you look back now and think you were silly giving them any money?
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Yes, I do, actually. I shouldn't have done.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55To enable the roofers to trade lawfully in the future,
0:21:55 > 0:22:00Trading Standards gave them detailed advice about their responsibilities to customers.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05Even so, I really feel for Vivienne because she put her trust in these cold callers
0:22:05 > 0:22:09at a time when she could so easily have been taken advantage of.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Well, Vivienne, sadly your husband died a couple of years ago
0:22:13 > 0:22:17presumably that's left you feeling more vulnerable around the house?
0:22:17 > 0:22:22Definitely. Definitely because I'm useless, can't even change a plug!
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- And he would have...?- Everything, he did all that sort of gear, yeah.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30- Do you think this would have happened if your husband had been here?- It would never have happened.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31No, without a doubt.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34So, looking back on this whole episode
0:22:34 > 0:22:38and the scam that was involved, how has it changed your attitude?
0:22:38 > 0:22:44My advice to anybody who, somebody comes to your door, don't have anything to do with them.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Wait until you've got a personal recommendation from a friend
0:22:48 > 0:22:54and just don't answer the door to anybody selling you anything.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Now, how this has changed you as an individual?
0:22:57 > 0:23:01I'm a lot tougher...I hope, yeah.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Thank you, very much for sharing your story with us.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14Well, now it's time to discover the fate of businessman Julian Donoher,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17whose company ripped off dozens of victims all over the UK.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Donoher is appearing at Teesside Magistrates Court today.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Amongst his many victims is Jane Morris.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30He charged her £5,830 just to unblock a drain.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Only when she tried to claim the money back through her insurance company
0:23:33 > 0:23:36did the full extent of the con come to light.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41The insurance man came round two or three days later,
0:23:41 > 0:23:46I told him what had happened and how the first blockage had happened
0:23:46 > 0:23:51and much I'd paid, £330, for this and immediately, he became anxious for me
0:23:51 > 0:23:53and he said, "That's far too much.".
0:23:53 > 0:23:57He went out to look and put his camera down the drains.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Came back in, and by this time my husband was home, and said,
0:24:00 > 0:24:05"Please will you both sit down, I'm afraid nothing's been done.".
0:24:05 > 0:24:07So, let's get this straight,
0:24:07 > 0:24:12Jane had paid £330 to Donoher for unblocking her drain,
0:24:12 > 0:24:17plus another £5,500 to put resin down the pipes.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22In reality, Donoher did nothing except lie to Jane about the work he'd done.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27What we have here is CCTV footage inside Mr and Mrs Morris's drain.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30This was taken by somebody acting on behalf of their insurance company,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32once they realised there was a problem.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34And you can see the camera travelling along the drain
0:24:34 > 0:24:38and it's now approaching an area of root growth
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and what this trader had told the Morris's
0:24:40 > 0:24:43was that he had removed all root growth from this drain
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and that's actually clearly not the case
0:24:45 > 0:24:47and the drain is obstructed here by roots.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50But because Jane had paid by cheque,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53it now meant there WAS a paper trail.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55This was the turning point in the case
0:24:55 > 0:25:00as Trading Standards finally had a way of fighting back against Donoher.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Investigators were then able to trace where that cheque went
0:25:03 > 0:25:07and this trader had used a cheque cashing service to actually get the money from that cheque.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11That enabled us to carry out further enquiries with the cheque cashing service
0:25:11 > 0:25:16to find out how many other multiple cheques had been through his account in that same way.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17And we then identified many other victims
0:25:17 > 0:25:22that had been targeted by him in exactly the same way as the Morris's.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Happily police and Trading Standards finally caught up with Julian Donoher.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29He was arrested and charged with fraudulent trading.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Having been on the case for almost two years,
0:25:32 > 0:25:37Ruth Andrews is at Teesside Crown Court hoping for a successful outcome
0:25:37 > 0:25:40and that Donoher's days as a con artist are well and truly over.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41'So, really good news,'
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Mr Donoher has pleaded guilty to 33 counts of fraud and money laundering charges
0:25:45 > 0:25:49relating to multiple victims and thousands of pounds that he has taken from them.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55Really successful case for us that's taken us 18 months to bring to a conclusion
0:25:55 > 0:25:57but also great news for the victims of this case
0:25:57 > 0:25:58who lost so much money to him.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00And there's more good news
0:26:00 > 0:26:05because Trading Standards are currently using the Proceeds of Crime Act against Donoher
0:26:05 > 0:26:09to reclaim the money he scammed from his victims.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14One thing is for sure, the whole episode has certainly been a deep learning curve for Jane Morris.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17'We were amazed that we could be taken in.'
0:26:17 > 0:26:20In future I'll know that the first port of call
0:26:20 > 0:26:22is to go to the insurance or something like that
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and not to believe people the first time
0:26:24 > 0:26:27but always to have a second opinion.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Well, we're so pleased to say, a great result.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37We're here to fight back against doorstep criminals
0:26:37 > 0:26:39and we'd really love to hear more of your stories
0:26:39 > 0:26:41about how you've stopped them ripping you off.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45You can always find the details about how to get in touch at:
0:26:47 > 0:26:49In the meantime, thanks for watching
0:26:49 > 0:26:52and I really hope you'll join me again, next time.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd