05/28/2026
In December 2025, North Carolina investigators revealed the results of a months-long sting operation targeting roofing insurance fraud. Robert Allen Bentley, 36, a senior project manager at A&M Premier Roofing & Construction in Charlotte, was caught on hidden cameras deliberately damaging a homeowner’s roof during a scheduled “inspection.” The home was a bait house — set up by investigators specifically to catch contractors committing fraud. Bentley was charged with insurance fraud, obtaining property by false pretense, and conspiracy after filing a fake $30,000 insurance claim on the damage he created himself.
This wasn’t a rogue employee improvising. The bait house sting was part of a broader crackdown after North Carolina saw a surge of suspicious roofing claims following recent storm seasons. Investigators say the scheme is disturbingly common: a contractor shows up for a “free roof inspection,” damages shingles or flashing while on the roof, then files an inflated insurance claim and pockets the difference. Homeowners often never realize the damage wasn’t there before the contractor arrived.
The case is a reminder that a “free inspection” from an unsolicited door-knocker is one of the oldest scams in roofing. Legitimate roofers don’t need to create damage to find work. If someone knocks on your door after a storm offering to climb up and check for free, the safest answer is no — and the smartest move is calling your own licensed contractor instead.
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