A man offering handyman services through social media is accused of defrauding clients by taking deposits for work he never did.
The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office said Jeffrey Jones advertised his services on platforms like Nextdoor and Facebook. He would require clients to pay deposits via Zelle then disappear, investigators said.
“Jeffrey Jones has three victims identified with a fourth pending this week,” Steve Gaynor with the Sheriff’s Office told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell.
The Sheriff’s Fraud Unit said they discovered Jones’s scheme during discussions about their cases and believe there may be more victims.
In some instances, they said Jones offered to fix decks and build tables but never showed up after receiving the deposit. He faces multiple charges, including theft by taking, theft by conversion and theft by deception.
Gaynor from the Sheriff’s Office advised against giving deposits for materials to unknown contractors.
“If you meet them on social media, you don’t know who they are,” he said. “I would try to avoid doing this deposit for materials that never show up at your residence.”
Investigators urge anyone who believes they may be a victim of this scheme to contact the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Fraud Unit.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
