On Friday, March 28, New York State Police charged four men with operating as unlicensed home contractors in Westchester County, the Cortlandt, Buchanan & Croton Daily Voice reported.
Homeowners in Cortlandt Manor contacted State Police, saying they believed the repairmen had scammed them after they performed driveway sealing work, according to the Daily Voice.

Incidents like the one that happened in Cortlandt are expected to increase in frequency around the country as temperatures rise and people seek driveway repairs and sealings, foundation repairs, roof repairs and other warm-weather home repair work, according to the Morrow County Sentinel in Ohio.

Scammers who offer to perform home repair services will usually convince homeowners to let them into their house, leaving them to steal money and valuables when no one is looking. Most of the time, homeowners won’t immediately realize their belongings have gone missing, according to the Decatur Herald Review in Illinois.

A survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs found that one in five homeowners will delay making repairs to their house. This is due in part to nearly 40% of the survey’s respondents saying it was difficult to find a repair service that was reliable.

Making sure a home repair service is licensed and trustworthy is essential before hiring them to do work in or around your home.

Before beginning warm-weather repairs on your house, always make sure to do a thorough background check on every home repair company before hiring them. Police say the best way to stop these thieves is to keep them out of your house. Licensed repairmen and utility workers shouldn’t mind you calling their main offices to check their identities, the Herald Review reported.