Description

My very local neighborhood listed posted a message about dryer vent cleaning and chimney sweeping. If 5 in neighborhood scheduled together would get a discount. I provided my name, address and email to what I thought was a neighbor. At the agreed upon day and time a young man arrived with a shop vac. He asked to see the chimney and took pictures. He tried to convince me it needed a lot of work but I told him I was only interested in chimney sweep and dryer vent cleaning as arranged. He then tried to clean the chimney, but got soot everywhere. He then proceeded outside and sucked some lint from the dryer vent. When he asked for payment he wanted cash, Zelle or cash app. I don’t have those and he wanted to accompany me to ATM for cash. I refused that and he said he would take a check. I wrote check amount and asked whom to make it out too and he said he would fill it in. He then wrote a name I couldn’t make out. He sent me a receipt that did not have a business name, technician name, address or phone number. He asked creepy questions about whether we had a dog, where my husband was, where we traveled. I just wanted him out of the house. I later contacted the local list serve to ask about the neighbor who recommended him, but turns out Wanda Matthew wasn’t known and they couldn’t find an address in my neighborhood associated with that name.