King County Sheriff’s Office warns of home repair scams targeting elderly in western Washington

RENTON, Wash. — The King County Sheriff’s Office is warning homeowners about a group of alleged fraudulent contractors investigators say are targeting elderly residents across western Washington with high-pressure home repair scams.

Detectives say the schemes often begin with an unsolicited knock at the door and an offer to repair roofs, chimneys or masonry work. Investigators allege the suspects pressure vulnerable homeowners into paying large sums up front, often through cashier’s checks before leaving behind damaged or incomplete work.

Larry, who did not want to reveal he or his father’s name, said his family became alarmed after his mother warned relatives about yellow caution tape surrounding the home ahead of Mother’s Day.

“My mother told my sister that there’s yellow tape around the. Be careful of the yellow tape when you come over for Mother’s Day,” Larry said.

The concern escalated after family members learned workers had torn apart the chimney.

“And my sister said ‘yellow tape?’ And so then we heard about the brick pile of bricks. There was a pile of bricks this high,” he said.

The family contacted the King County Sheriff’s Office, where Detective John Welsh began investigating the company involved in the work. Welsh said investigators discovered the LLC the contractor claimed to represent did not exist.

According to KCSO, investigators believe the suspects pose as legitimate contractors by using business logos, generic contracts and professional-looking trucks while targeting seniors and vulnerable adults.

Detectives say the suspects allegedly pressure homeowners into authorizing increasingly expensive repairs after initial work begins. In many cases, investigators say sub contracted workers partially demolish chimneys or roofs before the original contractor demands additional cash to complete the project.

“They try to string this out as long as they can to put as much pressure to keep drawing more money out of these people,” Welsh said.

The sheriff’s office says at least one of the suspects spoke with a heavy Irish accent. Investigators say the suspects frequently request payment through cashier’s checks and allegedly use bogus or unverifiable LLCs.

Welsh said investigators believe the same group may be linked to similar cases elsewhere in King County and beyond.

“We think these guys have pocketed over $2 million this year alone in these scams just tracking the money,” Welsh said.

In one similar case in Shoreline, investigators say a 74-year-old woman living alone was approached by a man offering chimney repairs for a few hundred dollars. According to KCSO documents, the woman later told deputies she believed she had agreed to limited repair work — “more than cleaning but less than fully dismantling the chimney.”

Investigators say workers tore down the entire chimney within about an hour before demanding thousands more dollars to repair the damage. The woman later reported feeling pressured into signing an $8,000 contract because the workers refused to leave her property.

Welsh urged homeowners to be skeptical of unsolicited contractors, particularly those demanding immediate payment.

“If you’re approached like this unsolicited, that should be your first red flag,” Welsh said. “If they’re putting a lot of pressure on you, that’s another red flag. If they’re asking for a bunch of money up front, like normal contractors won’t do that.”

Back in Renton, Larry said the experience has deeply impacted his family.

“Very depressed. Because it’s kind of thrown our family in turmoil,” he said. “We’re in the process of trying to move, clean this house out and do a bunch of other things because they want to downsize. And this just makes it more difficult.”

No arrests have been announced in the Renton investigation. Detectives say they believe there are additional victims and are asking anyone who may have encountered similar contractors to contact the King County Sheriff’s Office.