Each year, millions of elderly Americans are targeted by scammers who use a variety of deceptive tactics to con them out of their savings. To help keep seniors informed, the FBI is highlighting common scams. In today’s installment of elder scams, we are looking at scammers who pose as contractors doing home improvement projects. These occur when someone knocks on your door and claims to be a contractor doing in-person estimates for a variety of work from fixing your leaky roof to installing new doors or windows. They inspect the property and give a quote for the work, but demand cash up front. This is a red flag for a home improvement scam. The goal is to get as much cash as possible before disappearing forever. While some legitimate contractors do travel door-to-door, they are always licensed and insured and will never ask for cash upfront for work to be done. If someone at your door claims to be a contractor, ask for their license number and look it up immediately. If you’re still not sure, play it safe and send them on their way.
More information:
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/pass-it-on/home-improvement-scams
