North East Lincolnshire residents are being urged to be wary of cold callers offering to carry out work on their homes.
The warning comes after reports of a man calling at a home in the Grimsby area offering roofing repair and felting services.
He had no identification or calling card for his business and was reluctant to give the householder any further information other than offering repair work.
People are reminded of the additional protection which came in to force in June that gives consumers a 14-day cooling off period for contracts signed away from business premises, providing the customer does not sign a waiver to these rights.
Councillor Hazel Chase, North East Lincolnshire Council's portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, said: "If you've not requested a trader to call then always be wary of anyone who arrives uninvited at your home offering to sell you something, they're usually just out to rip you off.
"This recent complaint goes to show that doorstep scammers are active in our borough and we need to guard against them, no matter how genuine they might appear.
"On this occasion it was roofing work, but door step callers might offer to do anything from tree surgery to block paving and gardening to guttering. It's a scam that rears it's ugly head time and again, but unfortunately people keep being taken in. "
People who are concerned about rogue traders operating in their area should contact trading standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506 or online at www.adviceguide.org.uk.
