Fraudulent builders coerced a brain-damaged man into their van and forced to go to cashpoints to pay £1,000 for a scam roofing project.
The victim – who did not want to be named – was contacted on the phone by a man claiming to be from Medway Council building services last week, before arranging for the team to visit his home in Court Lodge Road, Gillingham.
Relative Robert McCulloch Martin is now speaking out to warn others of the scam, in which the builders assessed the roof, and said they would need £4,000 to carry out repairs last Monday.
The 67-year-old victim managed to negotiate a lower fee of £1,000, and paid £500 in cash before the men convinced him to get into their van to get the rest.
Robert said the victim was particularly vulnerable, having suffered permanent brain damage when they were run over by a drunk driver many years ago.
He added: “They got him to get into the van and escorted him to Aldi to get cash out, making sure he took out the money. He took out £300 at Aldi and they said it wasn’t enough money so they took him to the bank where they got him to take out another £200.”
The men then took him back to the house and carried out some poor quality remedial work – putting cement under tiles where the roof met the wall.
The builders said they would give him a…
