315-775-6127

Beware of a contractor operating as "Junk-A-Lo's" in the Syracuse / Onondaga County NY area. Business address: 111 Cogswell Avenue, Apartment 4, Solvay NY 13209. Contact: [email protected] and (315) 775-6127. Principal identified as NAME1 (also uses "NAME2"). Accepts payments via Square (merchant descriptor "SQ *JUNK-A-LO'S"). The scam pattern: operator begins as a legitimate-appearing junk-removal service, performs a few initial hauling jobs satisfactorily to build trust, then expands into residential renovation and licensed-trade work (bathroom demolition and installation, painting, roof repair, hot water tank installation, plumbing repairs, HVAC furnace repair, electrical work). Once the renovation relationship is established, operator bills progressive "phase draws" across multiple card accounts while performing little or no actual work. Operator specifically structures payments across multiple credit and debit cards to make the fraud pattern harder to detect. Red flags identified in this case: (1) NO New York business registration - NY Department of State business-name search returned zero records for the business name or the principal's variations. (2) NO Onondaga County WEP Plumbing Control registration despite billing for plumbing trade work (hot water tank installation, plumbing repairs, bathroom rough-in). (3) NO local electrical licensure despite billing for electrical and lighting work. (4) NO municipal building permits pulled for any billed work. (5) NO written contract - operator refuses to provide written home-improvement contracts, which is itself a per se violation of NY General Business Law Section 771 for residential work over $200. (6) All communication via personal Gmail address rather tha [BBB Scam Type: Home Improvement] [Business: Junk-A-Lo's Junk Removal Date R] [Location: Chicago, IL, USA - 60647]