September 30, 2024 – Charlotte County, FL
Following a storm or major disaster, contractor fraud takes center stage. Sheriff Prummell urges you to be cautious and do the research before agreeing to a contract with any company.
Fake contractors use a variety of tactics to get your money. Their goal is to prey on your vulnerability after a crisis. Here are some strategies we have observed:
- A “business” knocking on your door to offer a service because they were “in the area.”
- Saying they can use materials left over from a previous job to save you money.
- Requiring you to pay for everything up front and/or only accepting cash.
- Making you obtain required building permits.
- Scammers may suggest you borrow money from a lender they know. (Never agree to any loan without understanding the terms of the loan and knowing whether you can make the payments.)
- Pressuring you for a decision on the spot. They may emphasize how “busy” they are and that they can’t guarantee their service/rate unless you agree immediately.
“Every single time any storm or significant damaging event happens, there are going to be people who try to take advantage of it. I do not want to see the citizens of Charlotte County fall victim to these scams and suffer even more loss. We are still working with homeowners who were scammed following Hurricane Ian – please don’t allow that to happen to you in the wake of Helene.”
Sheriff Bill Prummell
As a reminder:
- Never give personal information to anyone you don’t know.
- Consider only contractors who are licensed and insured. To verify a state contractor, you can search for a licensee on The Department of Business and Professional Regulation site.
- Check with state or county government to confirm their license and ask the contractor for proof of insurance.
- Get contractor recommendations from people you know and trust.
- Get multiple estimates.
- Read contracts carefully.
- Never pay the full amount for the project up front.
For more information on local licensing and to verify a potential business, please visit:
Charlotte County Contractor Licensing
941-743-1201
ContractorLicensing@CharlotteCountyFL.gov
Valuable information can be found on the Charlotte Desoto Building Industry Association website: cdbia.com/after-the-storm-assistance.
Report scams here or contact the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office at 941-639-2101.