"The Mario Brothers" pick the pockets of Kirov residents

      A few days ago a cold-water pipe in a woman’s apartment in Kirov began to drip. She couldn’t figure out the cause on her own: whether the tee with the shut-off tap for the washing machine was leaking, or whether water was dripping from the shut-off valve that controls the cold water to the bathtub.

      “Of course, at first I went to the housing management company. In the office with a sign reading ‘work with owners’ there was, apparently, an employee of the management company to whom I told about the pipe problem and asked who I should contact and what to do so that the management company would send a plumber to look and resolve the issue. I was told that the management company ‘primarily deals with issues of common property,’ and that it would be quicker and easier for me to find a tradesman via an ad on Avito. After I insisted on filing a request ‘for a plumber,’ the man wrote down my address and phone number and said that ‘the plumber might call you if he has the time and desire,’” the woman from Kirov recounted about her experience with the management company.

      Realizing that the management company was not eager to handle owners’ issues, especially for an extra fee, the woman began looking for a competent plumber through acquaintances and relatives.

      “I asked colleagues, acquaintances, friends, relatives. One relative gave me the phone number of a plumber who, she said, had installed her toilet a few months earlier. I called the number and arranged that the master would come the next day and fix everything.

      Two of a kind

      At the arranged time the doorbell rang. Hearing through the intercom that ‘the plumber has arrived,’ the woman opened the door. ‘To be honest, I was taken aback when two men burst into the apartment at once. I didn’t need furniture moved or a bathtub carried in. But I thought maybe one was an apprentice or a partner. After all, I got the phone number from a relative, not from an ad,’ Olga says.

      By the way, as the woman from Kirov said, the men could not name the cost of the work beforehand, saying ‘we’ll take a look, do it, and then it will be clear.’

      ‘They fiddled around for about 30 minutes. They lamented that “several people have worked on this before and each did it their own way.” They said the problem was with the gaskets and that they would replace them. When they finished, one of them sat down in the kitchen and began to fill out a contract. When I saw the final amount for their “services,” to be honest, I was simply stunned — 9,420 rubles,’ Olga said.

      As she noted, she was confused by the situation. ‘Yes, I could have said I didn’t have that kind of money, that I couldn’t pay such an amount for changing a gasket that costs, thank God, 200 rubles, and I wouldn’t pay. But I was home alone, and there were two big men in the apartment with adjustable wrenches... And if I refused to pay, it’s unclear how it could have ended. So I transferred the money to the phone number one of the “plumbers” dictated to me.’

      No one called, no one went anywhere

      After the “masters” left, the woman called the relative who gave her the plumber’s number and asked whether it was common for a valve sealing to cost nearly 10,000 rubles. The relative, apparently also very surprised, called the plumber who had worked for her. In response she was told that no one had called him and he had not been anywhere today.

      ‘Most likely that man was simply lying. How can you call a person’s personal number (and that is his personal number, as he told the relative who called in indignation), and reach scammers?’ the woman reflected.

      ‘Only after they left, having calmed down a bit, I examined the “contract” they had drawn up for me. But there’s a nuance: a contract is usually drawn up between two parties. In this one there was only me. There was no company name, no full name of the worker, no phone number. None of that. Yes, there was a signature of the “second party,” but without a surname or initials it is simply a scribble that absolutely anyone could “draw,”’ the woman from Kirov says. According to Olga, she consulted knowledgeable people and took the necessary measures. However, the process of ‘restoring justice’ is not quick. It will be almost a miracle if the deceived woman manages to recover her money.

      Paid for nothing

      In the evening, when the woman started using the water, it became clear that the “repaired pipe” was still faulty: the water was still dripping. ‘I had to go back to the management company and almost force them to file a request. In the end they accepted the request and the next day a plumber came. He fixed the leak and charged 1,000 rubles for the work,’ the woman said.

      What to do in such situations:

      - Remember that no one can demand any money from you if you have not signed an official service contract. If a tradesman cheerfully walked into your apartment, did something, and issued a bill that clearly exceeds all reasonable limits, by law you do not owe him anything if the work was not officially documented. It is preferable to arrange documentation before the work, with a detailed estimate and price list. The contract should include the details of both parties.

      - If you have the opportunity, under the pretext of ‘going to borrow money’ you can step out into the stairwell and call the police. While a patrol is on its way, make the tradesman some tea and convince him that ‘a friend with money will arrive soon.’ The patrol will detain the scammer, although there is no guarantee that the entire criminal network will be taken down.

      - Scare the criminal. Claim that your friend works in law enforcement and that you will call the police, who will sort out the situation. Usually at that moment the scammer tries to negotiate a much smaller amount ‘amicably.’

      - Calling the scammer’s manager is pointless. They will laugh at you or hang up. It is better to call the authorities right away. However, try not to provoke the scammer so as not to put yourself in danger.

      - Do your best to refuse to pay huge sums. Demanding tens of thousands for the simplest action is illegal if it was not agreed in a contract in advance and priced according to a price list provided to you before any repair work began.

      - The biggest risk is to pensioners and people with disabilities. Try to control calls and appointments if your elderly relatives make them. Elderly people are most often targeted for large-sum scams.

      - It is best to have a list of trusted repairmen’ phone numbers. These can be tradesmen recommended by friends or local building maintenance workers. Avoid strange websites with minimal information. Check the addresses of such companies — more often than not the addresses are fake.