A DEVASTATED veteran is out $12,000 after he issued two checks to a roofing company that never completed the job.

Herberts Melnalknis, 88, paid the firm after a summer storm left his roof damaged.

World War II veteran Herberts Melnalknis paid $12,000 for roofing repairsCredit: WOWT

The firm has still done nothing to fix the roof of his Omaha, Nebraska, homeCredit: WOWT

The World War II veteran served in the US Military as an interpreter after fleeing his native Latvia during the war.

Now living in Omaha, Nebraska, Melnalknis was handed a brochure from an Iowa-based roofing company called DRJ Services Inc.

After a representative of the company came to his door, they told him that his roof needed repairs.

He handed over two cashier’s checks totaling more than $12,000 to the representative.

But so far, nothing has been done to Melnalknis’ roof.

DRJ Services Inc. has an address in Bettendorf, Iowa, over 300 miles away from Omaha, and shouldn’t be confused with companies using the same initials.

“He said that they’re roofers,” Melnalknis told Omaha NBC affiliate WOWT.

“I just want it done or the money back,” he said.

“The insurance paid me and I paid them but now nothing is done.”

DRJ Services Inc. did not respond to The U.S. Sun’s requests for comment.

A representative for the company told WOWT that the materials should have been delivered on November 19.

But Melnalknis said he’s still waiting for anything to be dropped off.

To do that in Omaha, a company would need a contractor’s license and pull permits.

The company has neither, according to the city’s databases.

According to the Nebraska Department of Labor, DRJ Services Inc. is not registered in Nebraska.

Industry experts have urged homeowners to research a contractor carefully before handing over any money.

You should research the company on the Better Business Bureau to see if they have had any complaints filed against them.

The most common roofing scams include so-called “storm chasers,” who target homeowners following extreme weather in search of roofs damaged by rain or hail.

They often can be seen handing out leaflets door-to-door.

Other scams to watch out for are bids that seem too good to be true, contractors who report “mystery damage,” and firms that ask for a large down payment.

Long Roofing has put together a list of advice on how to avoid scams and scammers.