After severe thunderstorms and tornadoes swept through the Chicago area Monday night, experts are warning those affected to be very cautious when seeking repairs for storm damage.
If your home was damaged by Monday’s storm, you likely feel some urgency to get the necessary repairs done.
But this urgency opens the door for scammers to swoop in with offers of fast repairs at an affordable price.
However, these home repair scammers may take your money and run, or perform substandard work that damages your home even more.
According to the Better Business Bureau, home repair scams were among the most commonly reported local scams in 2023.
Contractors in the Chicago area are likely to be booked in the days immediately following the storm. The offer of a fast, cheap fix from someone knocking on your door may sound tempting, which is taken advantage of by scammers.
“The scammers go into these areas knowing that, so they said, ‘Hey, we can take care of it today. We can cut these trees down we have put a new roof on or or remove these debris, whatever it may be.’ And they’re just actually storm chasers; individuals coming in from different towns that take advantage of consumers,” Steve Bernas of the Better Business Bureau said.
According to Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart, the number of complaints his department has received about home repair scams have almost doubled every year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Having done this for many, many years, for every one we know of, there’s probably 10 other ones we don’t know of, where either [the scammer] didn’t get any money or more likely, it was a small amount of money and the person who was victimized just is embarrassed. They don’t want to go any further with it,” Dart said.
Dart encourages homeowners to call police if they are suspicious or unsure of a contractor or salesperson who knocks on their door. He also said having video surveillance cameras around your home can help police identify scammers.
The BBB advises consumers to check websites to verify whether a business is licensed or reputable.
Bernas also advises consumers to research a contractor and their address before hiring, ensuring that their address is indeed a real location and local.
Additionally, consumers are advised not to give contractors cash and to ensure a contract is in place before agreeing to any work.