Still cleaning up from the storm? Here's how to avoid getting scammed
Ottawa-area residents still dealing with the fallout from last month’s powerful and deadly storm have a new threat to contend with: scammers.
The Better Business Bureau issued a warning Wednesday that people affected by the May 21 derecho should beware of ‘storm chasers’ and out-of-town contractors soliciting business.
“When a storm passes through a region and wreaks havoc, some people are going to try to take advantage of homeowners who have seen damage on their property,” bureau spokesperson Jessie St-Cyr told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work with Andrew Pinsent.
St-Cyr said the bureau doesn’t have any reports of attempted scams in the Ottawa area after the recent storm, but they have seen it in the past.
“Right now it might be tempting for someone who has damaged on their roof, let’s say, to hire the first contractor who knocks at the door,” she said.
That’s because with the labour shortage and supply chains, wait times for roofers and other contractors are longer than usual.
However, people should resist that urge to hire someone on the spot, she said.
The bureau says the following five things are red flags to watch out for when hiring someone to do repair work on your property:
- Contractor asks to be paid in cash only
- A contractor claims they found major damage of hard-to-reach spots, but isn’t showing you pictures of the damage
- The contractor conveys a sense of urgency
- The contractor tells you they will cover the cost of your insurance deductibles
- The company vehicle isn’t local
There are several ways victims of natural disasters can avoid being scammed by opportunistic contractors. The bureau issued the following tips:
Contact your insurance company: Ask about your policy coverage, and make sure to save all receipts.
Do your research: Find businesses you can trust through the Better Business Bureau, your insurance company or friends and relatives.
Resist high-pressure sales: You should never feel forced to make a hasty decision to choose an unknown contractor.
Be especially careful of door-to-door contractors: Many municipalities require a permit for salespeople to go door-to-door.
Don’t sign over insurance checks to contractors: Get an invoice from the contractor and pay them directly. Don’t sign any documents that give contractors rights to your insurance claims.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Feds 'not interested' in investing in LNG facilities: energy minister
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is 'not interested' in subsidizing future liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, including the electrification of projects currently in the works.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
Aerial photos show wide devastation left by tornado in China's Guangzhou
Aerial photos posted by Chinese state media on Sunday showed the wide devastation of a part of the southern city of Guangzhou after a tornado swept through the day before, killing five people, injuring dozens others and damaging over a hundred buildings.
Global measles cases nearly doubled in one year, researchers say
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
Fair share: the right office solution can take finding the right partner
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
A top Qatari official urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a ceasefire deal
A senior Qatari official has urged both Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds on both sides to move toward a deal that would set Israeli hostages free and bring potential respite in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
What Trudeau's podcast appearances say about the Liberals' next ballot box question
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Russian drones set a hotel ablaze in a Ukrainian Black Sea city
Russian drones early Sunday struck the Black Sea city of Mykolaiv, setting a hotel ablaze and damaging energy infrastructure, the local Ukrainian governor reported, while ammunition shortages continued to hobble Kyiv's troops in the more than two-year-old war.
A munitions explosion at a Cambodian army base kills 20 soldiers, but its cause is unclear
Security was tight around a military base in southwestern Cambodia on Sunday, a day after a huge explosion there killed 20 soldiers, wounded others and damaged nearby houses.