Looking out for scammers capitalizing on Oklahoma storms

3 years ago 326

TULSA, Okla. — The days pursuing a damaging tempest tin permission the doorway unfastened for scammers.

The Better Business Bureau says a situation tin bring retired contractors taking vantage of those who've already been victimized by the storm.

The BBB says radical should interaction their security institution erstwhile dealing with tempest harm successful bid to support themselves; Save receipts, including for food, impermanent lodging and different expenses that whitethorn beryllium covered.

People should find businesses connected sites similar BBB.org, get references from friends and relatives astir contractors they've used, and cheque for licenses and insurance.

People should defy high-pressure income arsenic tempest chasers connection a expected bully woody lone if they're hired connected the spot.

The BBB says tempest victims should beryllium cautious of door-to-door contractors, and marque definite to inquire for ID and cheque their conveyance for a concern name, telephone number, and section licence plates.

Storm victims shouldn't motion implicit security checks to contractors oregon motion immoderate documents giving a contractor rights to their security claim. They should get an invoice from the contractor, and wage them directly, preferably with a recognition card, which offers further fraud protection.

They should besides beryllium cautious erstwhile allowing idiosyncratic they don't cognize oregon spot to inspect their roof, attic, crawl spaces, ducts, oregon different areas of their home. An unethical contractor whitethorn really make harm to get work.

When hiring immoderate contractor, the Better Business Bureau recommends getting 3 estimates, and get everything successful writing.

There are galore morganatic section contractors who tin help, but the Better Business Bureau says they whitethorn not person the licenses and security we talked about, they whitethorn conscionable supply a speedy hole that won't last, oregon they could marque large promises, they can't deliver.

The BBB is besides informing contractors to beware of tempest chasers who connection to wage section operation companies important amounts of wealth to usage the business’s established name, reputation, and phone. They masquerade arsenic a section business, cod the security wealth and past determination on, leaving the existent concern to woody with unsatisfied customers owed to atrocious workmanship, unfinished work, oregon unfulfilled warranties.

See this afloat communicative TUESDAY connected 2 News Oklahoma Today astatine 6:30 a.m.

Click present for BBB tips connected hiring a contractor.

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