Victims lose thousands to MyBuilder.com scammer

Homeowners say they have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket and facing costly repair bills after a rogue builder took their money and vanished. One man said he paid Stephen Pickersgill £9,000 upfront to buy materials for a kitchen extension before he disappeared after just one day's work. Another woman said she had been forced to take out a £5,000 loan to repair the damage caused by Pickersgill, from Leeds, after he was hired to remove a chimney breast and create space for a stairlift. Pickersgill, who is in prison for unrelated offences, did not respond to the BBC's request for a comment. A BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire investigation found Pickersgill used the online trades directory MyBuilder.com to advertise his services, creating several different profiles and names to do so. It was also discovered that Pickersgill lied on insurance documents about his business and asked to be paid for work through other people's bank accounts. Stefano, from Leeds, hired Pickersgill in October 2025 via the website after being quoted £27,000 for a kitchen extension. He said he paid £9,000 up front for materials, equipment and a skip that never arrived. Pickersgill did one day of work -