Nextdoor users say they were bilked by handyman who advertised on the platform

In June, 55-year-old Niko Wilson decided it was time to complete the patio renovation at her El Sobrante property. Having recently discovered the website Nextdoor, she posted to the social media platform, requesting recommendations from neighbors for help with the project. 

Within days, she received a private message from Arturo Negrete Cardenas, a San Pablo handyman who offered his services. After visiting the house a few times, Cardenas agreed to install a full patio cover in exchange for a deposit to cover supplies. Five months and $8,000 later, Wilson says she was left with an abandoned project and a legal headache — along with silence from Cardenas and Nextdoor, to whom she reported him. 

“He hasn’t had any consequences,” Wilson said. “Nextdoor doesn’t help. “You can report, but there’s no assistance there.”

Wilson is one of at least seven East Bay Nextdoor users who’ve shared similar stories of deception and financial losses across the online forum after hiring Cardenas, who initially contacted them via Nextdoor’s platform. Though multiple Nextdoor users told Richmond Confidential they have complained about him to the site, his personal and business pages were still visible as of Friday, advertising remodeling, painting, landscaping and other home improvement services. 

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Cardenas in September with contracting without a license, grand theft of personal property, and theft from an elder or dependent adult. A month prior, he was sued in small claims court by a Pinole resident for over $4,000 for home improvement fraud. Currently, Cardenas is under investigation by the Contractor State License Board and faces a $12,500 lawsuit from Wilson for breach of contract, as well as a lawsuit in Contra Costa County for damages of over $250,000. 

Richmond Confidential attempted to contact Cardenas multiple times for comment but received no response. 

Nextdoor doesn’t investigate

Nextdoor is a San Francisco-based, privately owned tech company that offers neighbors a hyper-localized online space to chat about everything from community events to lost pets. The platform boasts 95 million global users, including hundreds in Richmond and surrounding cities. In recent years, it’s also become a hotbed for scammers, particularly so-called contractors, who abandon the job after an upfront payment is made. 

Nextdoor offers several guides to help members avoid online scams, advising users to report fraud to local authorities or consumer protection agencies, and saying it is “not able to investigate interactions that have occurred outside of the platform.” There are also options to report personal and business profiles to the company for review. 

“Nextdoor uses a combination of proactive measures and community feedback to prevent scams,” a Nextdoor representative told Richmond Confidential in an email. “We continuously monitor reported content and work closely with users to address concerns quickly. Our platform also encourages neighbors to leave reviews, helping create transparency and trust.”

Incidents reported to the Richmond Police Department are handled case by case, said Lt. Donald Patchin, public information officer. Factors considered include whether a contract was signed and whether work was started. Patchin also advises filing a complaint with the California State License Board for contractors operating without a license. The board also posts the status of a trade person’s license on its website.

John Schilt, an attorney at Tenax Law Group in Point Richmond, represents the plaintiff in the $250,000 lawsuit against Cardenas and an alleged accomplice. Schilt said he is seeking a default judgement as the courts have “continuously put the case over” month after month. He estimates there may be as many as 24 victims across multiple counties.

“They are a couple who have produced a prolific number of victims,” Schilt said. “They have no fear of a court system which has, thus far, failed to halt the propagation of further victims.”

Schilt expressed the importance of vetting contractors before handing over money for a job.

“People have to be hyper vigilant about getting references and doing the legwork to make sure that these people are legit. These are new times, and you’ve got to protect yourself in every way possible.”

According to the Better Business Bureau’s most recent risk assessment, reports of people engaging with a scammer on social media increased 64% from 2022 to 2023. In the same year, home improvement scams ranked fourth on BBB’s Top 10 Riskiest Consumer Scams, particularly among consumers 55 and older.

Feeling betrayed

In January, Pinole resident Evodia Vivoni posted on Nextdoor seeking advice for a reputable handyman. The 62-year-old public school secretary received a message from Cardenas, who offered a free quote for a landscaping job upon inspection. After they built rapport online and in person, Vivoni says she handed Cardenas $6,000 for materials and was left with an incomplete job.

“I gave him the money and never saw him again,” Vivoni said. Suspecting fraud, she emailed Nextdoor customer service. Vivoni said she had not heard back from Nextdoor and added that figuring out how to report Cardenas’ Nextdoor profile was difficult. 

Unlike legacy social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and X, Nextdoor’s more robust verification process — which requires confirmation of local residency via geo-location, full name and phone number upon signup — creates a sense of intimacy within communities and may create a false perception of security. 

“When I belong to a platform like Nextdoor, I feel, in a sense, that I belong there,” Vivoni said. “I asked for an honest referral. I started with a sense of belonging but left feeling betrayed.” 

Wilson has been able to find other victims in her neighborhood and now works with them to spread information to neighbors on how to avoid similar scams and how to report scams to the proper government agencies. 

On Nextdoor, Wilson connected with 63-year-old Alameda County resident Debra Farinha, who experienced a similar run-in with Cardenas. According to Farinha, the handyman agreed to fix the bathroom and kitchen at her late mother’s property in exchange for a deposit to cover supplies. The work ultimately cost her $19,200, leaving her with an “uninhabitable” home. She is working with the Contractors State License Board and is collaborating with Wilson and others on Nextdoor to build a legal case against Cardenas.  

Farinha said she reached out to numerous agencies — including the San Leandro Police, San Pablo Police, Alameda and Contra Costa district attorneys, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, California Board of Equalization, and the Internal Revenue Service — and mostly hit dead-ends.

“The best way I can describe it, the experience with authorities has been a pinball machine,” Farinha said. “Everyone is being bounced around everywhere, and nothing’s getting done. You don’t get your money back.” 

There are parallels in the stories of people who have hired Cardenas, including that he requested loans for personal issues, expanded the scope and costs of projects, and made minor improvements while grossly misrepresenting plans, court documents show. 

Vivoni said she doesn’t ever expect to get her money back and is sharing her story to prevent her neighbors from becoming victims.

“I’m just trying to live with dignity and take care of my property,” Vivoni said. “After this, I don’t want anything to do with Nextdoor.”

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