News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) warns consumers that scammers could be trying to offer fake services.
Assistant Director of Communications Baylie Scott said the increase spring projects leads to more chances for scammers.
“The arrival of warm weather means that scammers have the opportunity to present service-based scams more,” Scott said. “Common home improvement scams that are based on a service include lawn care, driveway paving, and contract work, so if a contractor comes to help you fix up your house, that’s [a sign of] a really good scammer.”
Scott said researching the individual and their services will help determine the authenticity of their offer.
“Always be wary of individuals going door-to-door selling you services. Definitely shop around for quotes before deciding on a person or company to provide the service,” Scott said. “Be wary of extremely low quotes, and always remember this rule: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
Crossville Police received a complaint from a concerned citizen Thursday after the person fell victim to an alleged scam.
The citizen reported to police that two men offered $150 to repair cracks in his driveway, but bumped the price to $630 once the job was completed. The men took the citizen’s $560 that they had available and left, only for the citizen to notice that his driveway had only been painted and not repaired.
Scott said the bad news for victims may not end with losing their money.
“Unfortunately, most homeowners insurance policies do not cover money lost to scammers, because in general no services were rendered,” Scott said. “So it’s not something that’s usually going to be written into a homeowners insurance policy.”
Scott encourages citizens who hear of or fall victim to service-based scams to contact local law enforcement. Citizens can also contact the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs for more information.
