Home improvement scams are ranked as the riskiest scam in Canada.

That is according to the Better Business Bureau’s annual Scam Tracker Risk Report which takes data from the tracker to identify the top scams.

The scam can take different forms but will typically have someone knock on a door or send a flyer, saying they are contractor working in the area with leftover supplies, who will do work for a low price or in a short timeframe. They will then find issues in the home to significantly raise the price or ask for a large upfront deposit, while never returning to do the work.

Marketing and Communications manager Kristen Matthews says that reports of home improvement scams increased by over 50 per cent.

They also found people are losing more money to home improvement scams, with an 180 per cent increase from $660 to $1,900 in money lost on average.