Hurricane season is here again, as if the pummeling the Gulf Coast just took from blowhard Isaac wasn't enough proof. And in the wake of hurricanes, as with most natural catastrophes, come the storm chaser: an especially low form of fraudster who is eager to make a fast killing at the expense of the victims. In most cases, those are every-day customers who can ill-afford to have their already-strained pockets picked.
Following the storm to make cash
James Quiggle is a spokesman from the Coalition Insurance Fraud, a group of insurance businesses, consumer groups and government agencies. He explained:
"They're called storm chasers, going town to town where disaster strikes to descend on traumatized homeowners and causing more problems than they fix. And they often prey on senior citizens."
And, according to Frank Scafidi of the National Insurance Crime Agency, they are increasing.
Issues happening
The majority of the scamming contractors will leave without doing work, though some of them really do the work. The only issue is that they do a terrible job and leave permanent damage that will not be covered by homeowner's insurance. It is always a bad sign when the contractor asks for money upfront before they complete the task.
Avoiding construction cons
-- Before letting any person complete repairs, ask the Better Business Agency or your insurance agent for a list of approved contractors.
-- Try to find a license from the contractor.
-- Be wary of contractors with no business card or who cite a P.O. box for an address.
-- Never paid more than 25 percent of the total cost in deposits, and you also should not pay that until you start seeing materials delivered to your home.
David Guillory, interim director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Department of Public Works, said:
"You really shouldn't be paying for work that's not done. If somebody says, 'Pay me half and I'm going to go get some other equipment,' or go get another crew or something, that should send a red flag up."
Also seeing vehicle frauds out there
With really bad materials and bad craftsmanship, automobile scammers will put together broken vehicles and sell them to people. They make a huge buck. They get the automobiles after flooding at insurance auctions for a song.
Though these vehicles may run fine for a month or two, generally they will start breaking down regularly, turning them into cash pits that double and triple cost in no time.
Frauds to stay from
Get a vehicle history report from CARFAX or another trusted business before purchasing a car, and make sure you get a mechanic to inspect the car first. Do this whether you are purchasing at auction or individually.
Following the storm to make cash
James Quiggle is a spokesman from the Coalition Insurance Fraud, a group of insurance businesses, consumer groups and government agencies. He explained:
"They're called storm chasers, going town to town where disaster strikes to descend on traumatized homeowners and causing more problems than they fix. And they often prey on senior citizens."
And, according to Frank Scafidi of the National Insurance Crime Agency, they are increasing.
Issues happening
The majority of the scamming contractors will leave without doing work, though some of them really do the work. The only issue is that they do a terrible job and leave permanent damage that will not be covered by homeowner's insurance. It is always a bad sign when the contractor asks for money upfront before they complete the task.
Avoiding construction cons
-- Before letting any person complete repairs, ask the Better Business Agency or your insurance agent for a list of approved contractors.
-- Try to find a license from the contractor.
-- Be wary of contractors with no business card or who cite a P.O. box for an address.
-- Never paid more than 25 percent of the total cost in deposits, and you also should not pay that until you start seeing materials delivered to your home.
David Guillory, interim director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Department of Public Works, said:
"You really shouldn't be paying for work that's not done. If somebody says, 'Pay me half and I'm going to go get some other equipment,' or go get another crew or something, that should send a red flag up."
Also seeing vehicle frauds out there
With really bad materials and bad craftsmanship, automobile scammers will put together broken vehicles and sell them to people. They make a huge buck. They get the automobiles after flooding at insurance auctions for a song.
Though these vehicles may run fine for a month or two, generally they will start breaking down regularly, turning them into cash pits that double and triple cost in no time.
Frauds to stay from
Get a vehicle history report from CARFAX or another trusted business before purchasing a car, and make sure you get a mechanic to inspect the car first. Do this whether you are purchasing at auction or individually.
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