The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is stepping up efforts against roof inspection fraud, in which deceptive contractors falsely claim roofs are damaged to lure homeowners into making expensive and unnecessary repairs.
In response to the increase in these types of cases, authorities have begun more proactive community outreach, advising residents on how to avoid falling victim to such scams.
The urgency of this crackdown follows a disturbing increase in complaints to the National Consumer Affairs Center. In FY 2018 there were 923 consultations on roofing inspection fraud, but by FY 2022 this number had tripled to 2,885.
