Have you been fleeced by a Rogue Trader?
Need to trace an unscrupulous builder, shoddy contractor or cowboy tradesman?
Contact ARF on 0800 002 9654 or email help.arf.privateinvestigators@gmail.com?
Few things are more frustrating — or more costly — than being defrauded by a builder, a tradesperson, or a contractor. Whether it is a builder who has taken a substantial deposit and disappeared, a roofer whose work has made things worse rather than better, a contractor who gave a false name and address, or a trader whose positive reviews turn out to be fabricated, the practical consequences are significant: money lost, a property in a worse state than before, and a person you cannot find to hold accountable.
At ARF, we investigate rogue tradesmen, building fraud, and property disputes for private clients. We trace contractors who have disappeared, investigate the background of businesses and their directors, gather evidence suitable for use in small claims court and trading standards complaints, and help clients understand exactly who they have been dealing with.
Need an emergency Rogue Trader investigation or trace? No problem. Our team operates 24/7/365 and can be with you at very short notice.
Contact our Property & Rogue Trader Detectives
Our Professional Tradesperson Investigators operate throughout the UK and Abroad.
Freephone: 0800 002 9654
Text: +447822015425
Rogue Traders We Investigate
- Contractors who have disappeared with deposits: tracing builders, roofers, plumbers, and other tradespeople who have taken payment and failed to complete work or have become uncontactable.
- Rogue builders and building fraud: gathering evidence about the standard of work, the honesty of the contractor’s representations, and the circumstances of any dispute in a form suitable for legal proceedings.
- Fake review investigations: identifying whether a tradesperson’s online reviews are genuine, or whether they have been artificially inflated with false positive reviews or falsely attributed negative reviews about a competitor.
- Director and business background checks: investigating the directors and owners of contracting businesses: their identity, their history, their other associated businesses, and any adverse records or previous complaints.
- Evidence gathering for disputes: documenting the condition of work, identifying witnesses, gathering records, and producing evidence in a form suitable for small claims court, trading standards, or other dispute resolution processes.
- Tracing rogue tradesmen: locating contractors who have given false addresses, changed their business name, or become uncontactable after a dispute.
We are nationwide and have team working daily across the UK, in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, Brighton, Bournemouth, Cambridge, Bristol, Cornwall and Cardiff.
Why choose ARF Private Investigators for your tradesperson investigation?
ARF Private Investigators stands at the forefront of cowboy tradespeople investigation services in the United Kingdom. Our specialist has a skillset, knowledge and expertise that is second-to-none. They comprise of former military personnel, ex-police officers, and cybersecurity professionals who deliver exceptional results for private individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporate entities, and family offices worldwide.
Our detectives have been featured in the worldwide press, including the New York Post, The Daily Mail, The Express, Daily Mirror, Unilad, Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo, the Daily Record, and Wales Online.
How Our Rogue Trader Investigators Can Help
Our investigations are practical in their focus. The people who come to us have been treated badly and want to know who they are dealing with, where that person can be found, and what evidence they need to pursue their claim. We give them all three.
Cowboy Trader Tracing
Where a contractor has become uncontactable, given a false address, or is operating under a different name, we trace them using the same combination of database searches, public record investigation, and open source intelligence that we apply to all our tracing work. Most rogue tradespeople are easier to find than they expect: they are registered somewhere, they have a vehicle, they have other business interests.
Background Investigations
A background investigation into a contractor or their business can establish whether the person is who they claim to be, whether their business is properly registered and what its history is, what other business interests the director has, and whether there are adverse records — county court judgments, dissolved companies, trading standards complaints, adverse reviews — that are relevant to your situation.
Evidence Gathering
Where a dispute is heading toward legal proceedings, evidence gathering is often what makes the difference. We can document the condition of work through photography and professional observation, gather witness statements from neighbours or others who have knowledge of the work or the contractor’s conduct, and produce our findings in a form that a court or tribunal can use.
Contact our Cowboy Tradespeople Detectives
Freephone: 0800 002 9654
Text: +447822015425
International Coverage
Need an international tradeperson investigation? No problem. Our network operates across the globe. We have offices with investigation professionals in France, USA, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, UAE, Australia, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, Argentina, Thailand, Cambodia, and Japan.
ARF Private Investigators operates globally, with recent assignments including:
- Fake Roofing Contractor in Bristol – The individual quoted for a number of repairs to a very large roof, and took a deposit. He failed to fix the roof and left significant areas of unfinished work. Our investigators were called to track him down to return the money to our client.
- Bogus Driveway Installer in Weybridge – A client was paid a deposit for a block paving project but the director of the company disappeared. We tracked him down in Brighton and served legal papers.
- Dishonest Tree Surgeon in Yeovil – A tree surgeon quoted and took a deposit to remove some overhanging tree branches at a hotel. The branches were deemed too dangerous for the hotel to open. The tree surgeon had taken £5,000 and never turned up, so we had to track him down to return the funds.
- Fraudulent Builder in Mallorca, Spain – A fraudulent builder requested 30% on a building job to buy the initial materials and hire a team. He failed to turn up on the start date and his phone was dead. We were hired by our client to track them down and give them an ultimatum – return the money or face legal proceedings. Our client received their money back, plus damages.
- Fake Drainage Specialist in Weybridge – A drainage company pretended to undertake a CCTV drainage survey in Weybridge, Surrey. On receiving the report, our client realised that the report didn’t reflect the correct layout of their property. ARF was asked to investigate further and found that the company report was completely false and that they has a track record of false reports. They managed to find a reputable company and the money spent was returned, with damages for inconvenience.
- Traffic Warden Impersonation in – We were contacted by a client who noticed a traffic warden who appeared outside their offices over a space of a few days and proceeded to hand out parking tickets to people as they return to their vehicles. Noticing his shoddy attire and convenient timing, our detectives were called to investigate the situation. We found that they were fraudsters, try to prey on unsuspecting individuals. We managed to keep them busy until the police arrived.
For immediate assistance, contact ARF Private Investigators on 0800 773 4931 or reach us via email. We can be communicate with you on WhatsApp, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Meet.
Rogue Trader Investigators FAQs
Can you find a builder who has disappeared?
In most cases, yes. Contractors who take deposits and disappear are typically not sophisticated evaders. They often still have registered vehicles, Companies House filings, or other public record presence that allows them to be located. Contact us and we will tell you honestly what the prospects are in your specific case.
Is investigation worth it for a small claim?
For disputes in the small claims track (up to £10,000), the proportionality of investigation costs is a legitimate consideration. We offer straightforward trace and background checks at modest cost that are frequently worthwhile even for claims at the lower end. For disputes above that threshold, more comprehensive investigation is almost always justified.
What evidence do I need for small claims court?
Small claims court does not require legal representation and the evidential standards are accessible. Useful evidence includes: the original contract or quote, photographs documenting the work at various stages, bank statements showing payments made, any written communications with the contractor, and witness evidence from anyone who observed the work. We can help you gather, organise, and present this evidence effectively.
Can you investigate fake reviews?
Yes. We can investigate whether a tradesperson’s review profile appears genuine, whether there are indicators of review manipulation, and whether negative reviews have been posted about a competitor by the same source. This can be relevant to both a dispute with the trader and to any complaint to trading standards or consumer protection bodies.