SAN ANTONIO – Hurricane Beryl continues moving toward Mexico, and scammers could be watching closely to take advantage of disaster situations.
The Federal Trade Commission is warning people about what to look out for after a weather emergency to help people avoid scams.
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Some common things seen after a natural disaster include the following:
- Unlicensed contractors and scammers calling, emailing, texting or even knocking on doors, promising to fix your leaky roof, clean up damage or remove a fallen tree. These people often won’t give you a written contract and will get you to pay in full in advance. If you pay, you may get shoddy work or none at all.
- Online sellers may also take advantage of in-demand items at unusually low prices. They may not deliver those products and keep your money without shipping your order.
If you want to get ahead and avoid scams, the FTC has some steps you can take.
First, update your insurance policy to avoid surprises and ensure it is current and covers your needs.
Ask friends, family or people you trust for recommendations on contractors. You can also search online for the company’s name using the words “scam” or “complaint.”
Online reviews can also help you decide which company to hire. Make sure to look at various review sources, including well-known websites that are trustworthy and have impartial expert reviews.
When looking at online reviews, consider the following:
- Check the dates on reviews to ensure they’re recent and watch out for a burst of reviews over a short period, which could sometimes indicate fake reviews.
- You can also check if a reviewer has written other reviews to get a better sense of how much they trust that reviewer. Accounts that are created to write one review for one product may be fake.
If you’re hiring a contractor, ask for credentials, an ID, proof of insurance, and references and confirm their license is legitimate.
Before buying materials to prepare for a heavy weather event, consider unusually low prices could be a sign of a scam.
The FTC reminds people that scammers typically make promises, ask for payment upfront, and insist on payment in ways that make it difficult to get your money back. Always get your deal done in writing.
If you see a scam, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can learn more about preparing for, dealing with and recovering from a weather emergency here.