Logan County Sheriff's Office:  Beware of home repair scams

[May 22, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

Please be aware that as summer approaches and the storm season rolls into Central Illinois, the potential for home repair fraud and home improvement scams increases drastically. Protect yourself from fraudulent contractors by taking some simple steps.

1. Always research your contractor. There are many reputable local and semi-local contractors who do quality work right here in our community. Offers by unsolicited or out-of-area contractors who were “passing through” that sound too good to be true, usually are.

2. Check with the Better Business Bureau as most reputable contractors have been vetted by them. Often times a quick internet search of a contractor can give you an indication of their legitimacy.

3. Have a family member or friend assist you in researching a contractor before ever signing a contract or providing any money upfront in advance of the project being started.

Reputable contractors will never ask for the full amount of a project or large deposit up front. It is too easy for scammers who do business in this manner to take the money and walk away without ever having completed or even started the process.

4. Never give personal or financial information to anyone over the phone.

5. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance.

Below is a link to an article with additional information on how to avoid home repair scams.

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-08-2011/home-repair-scam-alert.html

[Mark Landers
Chief Deputy of Operations
Logan County Sheriff's Office]