Bogus tradespeople case quake-damaged homes

Thousands of homes were damaged in the Christchurch earthquake in February, and some criminals have been taking adavantage of the damage. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Christchurch residents are being warned about bogus tradespeople casing properties to later burgle while claiming to be doing repairs or giving quotes to quake-damaged homes.

The police call follows an incident in suburban of Burnside yesterday where a householder was visited by a man claiming to be doing quotes for roofing repairs.

Inspector Paul Fremaux, of Christchurch police, said the householder reported the incident because parts of the tradesman's story "didn't ring true".

"The householder has done exactly the right thing by bringing this to the attention of police," Mr Fremaux said.

"We are hearing of similar cases on a reasonably regular basis. In the current environment there are a lot of genuine tradespeople doing work across the city -- but there are also bogus operators who are seeking to take advantage of others for criminal ends."

Police urged people to report any suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods to them as quickly as possible.

"We have resources available and we will attend these incidents and investigate."

People could help by taking down details such as registration numbers, or by taking photos of suspicious vehicles, Mr Fremaux said.

"If people are unsure about a tradesperson, or someone calling at their door, they should always ask for identification.

"They may be genuine -- but equally they could be identifying potential burglary targets or looking for vacant premises."

- NZPA