ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Cooling temperatures means scammers have a new avenue to bilk unsuspecting residents out of their money, according to the Better Business Bureau.
“On our list of top ten and riskiest scams in 2023, Fall scams ranked number four. And that people were losing about $2,200 in these scams. So it’s a substantial amount of money that individuals are losing,” said Dennis Horton, the BBB’s regional director.
“Scammers move into the neighborhoods and they pressure their targets to buy now with things like, ‘Oh, we see that you have a problem with your roof or your chimney and we just happened to be in the neighborhood and we have some extra material, we can give you a really great deal on getting that fixed for you right now,’” he added.
The BBB warns that predatory home improvement companies often come from out of state and do not have a brick-and-mortar storefront, making it harder for victims to recoup losses.
Horton said patience is the best way to avoid a potential scam.