A DTE Energy worker makes repairs during a power outage. FILE PHOTO
Residents affected by last week’s storms have several resources to avoid being victimized by scammers, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Scam artists and price-gougers will try to take advantage of desperate home and vehicle owners, she said.
Nessel’s tips include:
• Get everything in writing.
• Never pay in cash.
• Never pay in full upfront.
• Never respond to an unexpected phone call that demands payment or threatens to turn off your utilities after a storm-related outage.
Don’t make any rash decisions before fully assessing the damage and researching contractors. One red flag for a possible scam is someone who approaches the homeowner saying they can make immediate repairs but must do it right away. . Legitimate home repair contractors, Nessel said, understand homeowners need time to research and check out service providers before signing contracts or making payments.
Check your homeowner’s insurance policy and write down questions you need answered before calling your agent to verify your deductible and what repairs will be covered. Write down the names of the people you call, with the dates and times of conversations, and write down the answers they give you. Knowing what you can spend on repairs will help prioritize repairs based on safety and need.
Before hiring a contractor, make sure they are licensed to do the work and check their references. Family and friends may know reputable repair companies. You can check reputable online rating sites to see if the contractor has a significant complaint history. More tips here: https://www.michigan.gov/ag/consumer-protection/Consumer-Alerts/consumer-alerts/home-health/Building-and-Remodeling-Advice-for-Homeowners.
Make sure a contractor’s promises, quotes, and your mutual expectations are written into the contract. Review carefully before signing.
• Use a credit card to pay for home repairs when possible, to add the ability to dispute charges if repairs are not completed.
• Never pay for an entire home repair upfront. Make a partial payment to get the work started.
• Before making the final payment, check to be sure all the work is done according to the contract you signed and meets your expectations.
Utility imposters also take advantage of people after damaging storms, Nessel said. They can threaten to turn off a utility unless the resident pays a certain amount of money in a short period of time.
Scammers can also lie to residents with a promise their utilities can be fixed faster for an additional fee.
Online and phone scams often use authentic-looking 800 numbers that appear on caller ID. If someone calls or emails claiming to be a utility company, here’s how to protect yourself:
• If you get a voicemail, don’t call the number back. Instead, get the utility’s contact information from a recent utility bill and call to confirm if they tried to reach you.
• If you pick up a call from someone claiming to be from your utility, ask for an estimated restoration time. Check what the caller tells you with the utility’ online map, which shows estimated restoration times.
• Don’t make payments over the phone to callers claiming to be from a utility. Nessel reminds everyone that it’s the utility’s responsibility to restore service and they never ask customers for additional payments for that work.
Price-gouging is another type of scam.
“Our Consumer Protection team remains committed to investigating complaints from anyone who believes bad actors are looking to take advantage of devastating situations,” she said.
People in the market for cars would be aware of water-damaged vehicles being sold on the used-car market.A vehicle’s title paperwork may indicate the history. Always have a used vehicle inspected by your own mechanic before purchasing and check the vehicle history by using the VIN: https://www.michigan.gov/ag/consumer-protection/Consumer-Alerts/consumer-alerts/auto/Beware-of-Buying-a-Flood-Damaged-Vehicle.
Some scam artists take advantage of people’s desire to help those affected by disasters, using fake online fundraisers. Nessel urges people to go directly to a large organization’s website, rather than use a link shared in a social-media post, email or text message. https://www.michigan.gov/ag/consumer-protection/consumer-alerts/consumer-alerts/scams/disaster-relief-and-charity-scams.
Anyone who believes they’ve been victimized by a scam can learn more from the Attorney General by mail: Consumer Protection Team, P.O. Box 30213 Lansing, MI 48909; by phone from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at (517) 335-7599 or toll-free at (877) 765-8388. People can also go online to file complaints at https://secure.ag.state.mi.us/complaints/consumer.aspx.
The state’s Consumer Protection office 10,000 consumer complaints each year. Learn more at https://www.michigan.gov/ag/consumer-protection.
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