Rooftop Paint Scam Nets a Brush With the Law
The scam, police said, was simple:
Posing as building inspectors, the three men went from house to house in South-Central Los Angeles, explaining that city regulations require homeowners to paint their addresses on the roof.
That, they would explain, is to help police helicopter patrols. And, for $100, the men would do the job. For an optional $200, they would add large arrows pointing to the home’s entrances.
Los Angeles police do not know how many people fell for the scheme. But on Sunday, one resident of East 33rd Street saw through it and called police to report that he was trying to hold three men posing as building inspectors.
By the time officers arrived, two of the men had gotten away. Police arrested the remaining suspect and confiscated receipts from other householders who were apparently victimized. They also seized patchwork stencils that were used to paint addresses.
Newton Division Sgt. Jack Rockett said there is no city requirement that addresses must be painted on roofs and that, in any event, building inspectors are not permitted to sell products or services to correct code violations.
The suspect, whose name was not released immediately, was booked on suspicion of grand theft bunco, Rockett said.
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