As people travel to eastern Kentucky to help flood survivors, some may be there with ill intentions. Scammers and con artists are often a concern after natural disasters.
Heather Clary is the communications director for the non-profit Better Business Bureau of central and eastern Kentucky. She said people need to be cautious about unsolicited contractors.
“We do hear instances from time to time of someone paying a lot money to contractor who just seemed like the best thing down the pike, and they left them with them with shoddy work, or unfinished work or maybe took the money and hadn’t started at all and then you’re back at square one.”
She said there are some warning signs people can look out for.
“Somebody that shows up unannounced, somebody who wants all the money up front, that is always a big red flag. No legitimate contractor is going to request that in any case. They may ask for half of it or a third of it and you should always have a written contract outlining the payment schedule.”
Clary said to also be on the lookout for people posing as government officials. She says government agencies will not ask for money or a lot of personal information without you contacting them first.
If anyone suspects they have been targeted or a victim of a scam should reach out to the authorities.
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