ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- An Action 9 investigation has uncovered a local contractor who targets customers inside home improvement stores and then cheats them out of thousands of dollars. The man goes trolling for victims at Home Depot and Lowes stores.and so far no one has been able to stop him

Jim Metts calls himself a contractor. Others who've met him inside area Home Depots and Lowes stores call him a stalker.

Action 9's Todd Ulrich confronted him outside of one store.

Todd Ulrich: "I don't think you're going in there to buy anything." Jim Metts: "Yeah." Ulrich: "I think you're there to shop for more victims?" Metts: "Yeah."

Homowners say Metts approached them as if he worked there.

"He started making suggestions right away that would enhance the kitchen," said Adina Medley.

Medley says inside a Lowes store, Metts said he could renovate her daughter's kitchen and save the family thousands over Lowes. That day, Metts went to the house, wrote a contract, and wanted a $2,000 deposit. Adina says after she paid, Metts never returned.

"Well, I had a sinking feeling that we just lost $2,000 because we were just outright lied to," said Medley.

Action 9 has uncovered 15 lawsuits where homeowners filed against Metts for basically the same reason: taking big deposits, then disappearing. Many say Metts approached them at home improvement stores.

Ulrich: "Why do you go in and troll for victims in Home Depot and Lowes?" Metts: "I'm not, I'm not going into Lowes or Home Depot ever again."

What he didn't know, the past 24 hours Action 9 had watched him in action at the Home Depot on East Colonial drive, on hidden camera, going inside the store several times over three hours. In between, he changed parking spaces, changed the way he dressed, then went back inside. We spotted him near the kitchen department.

Ulrich: "I saw you go in there four different times. You never bought anything." Metts: "Yeah." Ulrich: "Yeah, you're still doing it." Metts: "I'm not doing it." Ulrich: "I just saw you yesterday, Jim." Metts: "I have no comment."

His customers have a lot to say. In those 15 lawsuits, they won judgments against Metts. But he's never paid people like Judy Law nearly a thousand dollars.

"I don't know what stops someone like that," said Law.

Ulrich: "Can these people get their money?" Mett: "Yes." Ulrich: "Adina Medley. You took $2,000 from her. Give her her money back."

Action investigated our first complaint against Metts more than two years ago. He's been very busy since. Consumers have filed complaints with the state and local state attorneys but they've been told it's a civil case.

Home Depot and Lowes have responded to our investigation. Both companies say there are strict no solicitation polices in the stores that will be enforced. Any anyone who sees this activity should contact a store manager.