Winter scams to know and avoid
Friday, January 21, 2011 at 21:11 Senior citizens are so often the victims of scam artists that come to the door or call over the phone with offers that are just too good to be true. Unfortunately, many elderly people are so hungry for attention or somebody to just talk to, they are often too eager to chat with the person angling to bilk them.
Help protect the seniors in your family - and your neighborhood. If you have elderly relatives or neighbors, why not print this out and drop it off with them, with a plate of warm cookies. Let them know somebody in the neighborhood cares.
Then offer to find them a reliable repair person or snow removal service. Angie’s List is a good place to start.
-maven
This is from the AARP:
Cold-weather con artists often get in the door with low-ball prices, then hook unsuspecting homeowners with phony promises, scare tactics and bait-and-switch schemes that involve three common jobs:
Chimney sweeping. These scams usually start with telephone calls and mailed advertisements offering to clean a chimney for a bargain price, often $69 or less. But when the chimney sweep arrives, the clean-out is focused on your wallet. An “inspection” reveals any number of expensive problems — such as a supposed leak of carbon monoxide, structural damage or a worn-out chimney liner. Act immediately, you’re told.
What to know: A legitimate chimney cleaning