Here are some scams you want to try and avoid:

• The Storm Scam – Your area has just experienced a severe storm. In the middle of the storm, and/or during the middle of the night, the scammer sneaks up to your house and tears a few pieces of vinyl siding from it.  The next day, a “contractor” appears at your door with a sweet deal to repair that damage. He also suggests that if any “additional damage” occurs during the repair process, he’ll write things up so you can charge it to your insurance company. It sounds like an okay idea but think about it:  Not only has he ripped you off, but you are helping him rip off your insurance company. What does that mean in the long run?  Insurance companies are doing everything they can to mitigate losses due to contractor fraud, that can mean you could be dropped from your insurance, and possibly not get insurance again. Is it worth the chance? If a contractor appears unsolicited at your door, tell him no thank you, and then contact your insurance agent.

• The “Model Home” Scam – Some scammers will offer you a substantial “discount” if you promise to refer other customers or let them show off your home as a “model” or “demonstration” project. At best, this is a marketing gimmick. At worst, it’s an outright scam, because the “discount” is usually not a discount at all. If you’d just shopped around, you would have discovered that a reputable contractor’s “full price” was better than the scammer’s so-called discount. What’s even worse, many scammers that use this ploy then use your relationships to create new opportunities to scam your friends and neighbors out of their hard earned money.  They take deposits or full payments from unsuspecting homeowners and then never show up for the job, or do a poor quality job.  Can you imagine living in a neighborhood where you are now suspect for connecting your neighbors with a scam artist?

More information about scams and rip-offs available in the Library>>

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