Many Gulf Coast customers are finding themselves not only traumatized by the ravages of Storm Isaac last week, but are also facing severe financial strain in the aftermath of storm problems. Unfortunately, this can be a situation that a particularity low form of scammer seeks out. These so-called "storm chasers" unscrupulously pick the pockets of people when they are at their most vulnerable. And the hurricane season is far from over.
After the storm to make cash
The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud is an alliance of insurance companies, government agencies and consumer groups. A spokesman for the group, James Quiggle, told the Association of American Retired Persons:
"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."
The National Insurance Crime Bureau pointed out that we are seeing more and more of them out there.
Contractor schemes
Most of the scamming contractors will leave without doing work, though some of them actually 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.
Ways to keep away from the scams
-- You can get a list of approved contractors near you from the Better Business Bureau or your insurance bureau.
-- The contractor should show you a license first.
-- Never let someone work for you if they give you a P.O. box for an address or if they do not have a business card.
-- Never paid more than 25 percent of the total cost in deposits, and you 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."
Looking at vehicles too
With really bad materials and bad craftsmanship, automobile con artists will put together broken automobiles and sell them to people. They make an enormous buck. They get the vehicles after flooding at insurance auctions for a song.
The automobiles tend to run well for a few months before they break down and turn into money pits. Beware of them.
Get from the scam
Get an automobile history report from CARFAX or another trusted company before purchasing a car, and make sure you get a mechanic to inspect the car first. Do this whether you are getting at auction or individually.
After the storm to make cash
The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud is an alliance of insurance companies, government agencies and consumer groups. A spokesman for the group, James Quiggle, told the Association of American Retired Persons:
"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."
The National Insurance Crime Bureau pointed out that we are seeing more and more of them out there.
Contractor schemes
Most of the scamming contractors will leave without doing work, though some of them actually 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.
Ways to keep away from the scams
-- You can get a list of approved contractors near you from the Better Business Bureau or your insurance bureau.
-- The contractor should show you a license first.
-- Never let someone work for you if they give you a P.O. box for an address or if they do not have a business card.
-- Never paid more than 25 percent of the total cost in deposits, and you 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."
Looking at vehicles too
With really bad materials and bad craftsmanship, automobile con artists will put together broken automobiles and sell them to people. They make an enormous buck. They get the vehicles after flooding at insurance auctions for a song.
The automobiles tend to run well for a few months before they break down and turn into money pits. Beware of them.
Get from the scam
Get an automobile history report from CARFAX or another trusted company before purchasing a car, and make sure you get a mechanic to inspect the car first. Do this whether you are getting at auction or individually.
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