Consumers are Urged To Be Wary of Home Repair Fraud

It’s hurricane season and along with being prepared for a possible storm, consumers are being cautioned to be on lookout for fraud. MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports.

Bridget Wiggins, with the Consumer Protection Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s office is standing in the middle of a Home Depot in Gulfport, passing out hurricane preparedness information. Alongside the disaster supply kit checklists and evacuation route guides is information on how consumers can protect themselves from home repair fraud. After Hurricane Katrina, home repair fraud surged says Bridget Wiggins,

“Following Hurricane Katrina we found that there was a shortage of contractors, so when a consumer was able find a contract, sure they were anxious to hurry up and get repairs started on their home. So we did see a lot of homeowners who unfortunately did not have contracts.”

Since Katina, the Attorney General’s office has indicted over 100 people on home repair fraud charges. Attorney General Jim Hood says his office learned a lot from Katrina and wanted to pass that information along to consumers,

“So we are trying to get ahead of the game so we don’t have people in the future entering into contracts. At least try to give them some protection in things such as don’t all the money up front. So we just want to remind people to be ready because these things slip up on us just so quickly.”

The Attorney General’s office says the primary way to protect against home repair fraud is to get a signed contract before entering into a home repair agreement. Consumers can find a model contract on the Attorney General’s website.