Nessel reissues consumer alerts amid severe weather forecast
(CBS DETROIT) - As severe weather is forecasted, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warns residents of scammers that target home and vehicle owners during disasters.
Here are some steps residents can take to avoid being a victim of disaster-related scams:
- Breathe.
The attorney general's office advises residents to take some time to absorb what has happened and make sure to take their time when hiring home repair contractors to be sure they are legitimate. - Talk to your homeowner's insurance agent or company.
Individuals should review their homeowner's insurance policy for details on what damages could be covered and the deductible amount. After that, people should call their insurance companies and write down the questions they asked and the answers they received, along with the name of the person that helped them. People should know what is covered to estimate how much they can spend on repairs and then prioritize repairs based on safety and need. - Do your homework.
Nessel urges residents to research contractors before hiring them for home repairs. People should ensure the contractor they decide to hire is licensed, insured and well-regarded with friends and neighbors, and a person should be comfortable with the contractor's complaint history if they have one. - Get everything in writing and never pay in cash or in total upfront.
Residents are urged to get all promises, quotes and expectations written in a contract. In addition, officials urge people to pay for home repairs with credit cards, as they give the added protection of the ability to dispute a charge if the repairs are incomplete. Payments should also never be paid in total upfront to ensure all work is completed with the contract terms.
In addition to scams surrounding home repair contractors, severe weather also brings utility scams, in which scammers threaten people that their utility services will be turned off if they don't pay a specific amount of money by a certain time or the scammer will impersonate a utility company and try to convince people that their utilities could be fixed sooner if they pay a certain amount.
If a person is contacted by a person claiming to be with a utility company, they should do the following:
- Ask for an estimated restoration time.
Legitimate companies track their crews, so if a caller gives an estimated time, individuals should cross-check that with their company's outage map available online. - If they leave a message, don't call back.
People should locate contact information for their utility company (from a recent bill) and call to ask if they called you in the first place. - Don't provide payment information over the phone.
The company is responsible for bringing a service back online, which will never include asking customers for an extra payment.
"Weather-related scams are more predictable than the weather," Nessel said. "But if consumers educate themselves and remain vigilant, they can avoid being victims of fraudsters. Our Consumer Protection team is committed to investigating complaints. If you believe a business or individual is engaging in fraudulent behavior in response to the severe weather, I encourage you to contact our office."