A WOMAN has been left shocked after a contractor scammed her out of $2,000, promising to fix her window but failing to deliver.
Luckily, she obtained key information before the ordeal started that helped her catch the thief.
After sorting through several contractors on the Thumbtack app, Xueling Xu of Texas selected Juan Bosquez to repair her window.
Bosquez, of JBS Construction, offered Xu the best bid among all contractors.
In April of last year, Bosquez signed the contract and Xu made a down payment of $2,000, she told local CBS affiliate KENS.
Little did she know this decision would soon turn into a nightmare.
First, Xu was told new windows needed to be ordered, and the job wouldn’t begin for another month.
Bosquez set a start date for the job, but when the day came, he never showed up – and then stopped responding altogether.
Xu tried reaching out to the contractor multiple times to resolve the issue, but her efforts went unanswered for months.
Frustrated, Xu eventually contacted KENS, hoping they could help.
KENS reached out to Bosquez, but he denied any affiliation with JBS Construction, claiming the company didn’t exist.
However, when KENS responded by mentioning that they possessed a signed agreement from Bosquez which included all his details, the contractor abruptly ended the conversation.
The only bit of info missing was a physical address – which proved to be a red flag.
Determined to get her money back, Xu gathered the information she had and went to the San Antonio Police Department.
Xu supplied them with the complete name, phone number, address, evidence of payment, proof of the contractor committing to complete the work, and a photo of him.
Additionally, Xu wisely made sure to photograph Bosquez’s driver’s license before making any payments, a decision that ultimately benefitted her.
Bank tips for avoiding scams
As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
She also had proof of texts exchanged between her and Bosquez, which strengthened her case.
After eight months, a detective reached out to Bosquez to resolve the case, and suddenly, the contractor began answering Xu’s calls.
Bosquez offered to pay Xu her $2,000 back – which she received in January 2025.
“The detective was in contact with the suspect who cooperated with the investigation and agreed to refund the victim’s money,” SAPD told KENS.
The SAPD also strongly recommends meeting a contractor in person before making any payments and recommends finding a contractor who doesn’t require a down payment.
Local businesses can be looked up on the Better Business Bureau.
