BEAUMONT, Texas — Now that power is being restored across Southeast Texas following severe storms, people are now starting to deal with damage left behind.
The Jefferson County Long Term Recovery Group and the Better Business Bureau Southeast Texas is sending out a warning as people begin to seek contractors to help with repairs to their homes and businesses.
The Jefferson County Long Term Recovery Group is a nonprofit that assists individuals and families with long-term recovery following a natural or man-made disaster, according to their website.
They say in order to avoid falling victim to a scam, you need to do your homework.
"Jefferson County is one of the most disaster impacted counties in the state of Texas. We've had six major disasters here since 2017, so we're accustomed to disaster recovery," said Executive Director of the Jefferson County Long Term recovery group, Michelle Brewer.
Brewer says scammers know this and are looking to prey on people.
"When households or families are impacted by disaster, they're at their most vulnerable. They just want everything to be normal again and dishonest business and contractors understand this," she said.
Brewer says a good way to check validity is the Better Business Bureau website.
Red flags to look out for include, but not limited to:
- Discounts in exchange for paying cash up front
- Pressure to make a quick decision
- Offering up no credentials
- Having an out-of-state license plate
- Not providing an official contract
- Unwilling to provide a proper receipt after payment
The BBB received a lot of calls since Saturday night's storms.
"What do we do as far as, you know hiring a contractor, what kind of tips can you give us and a lot of calls about specific businesses," said BBB Dispute Resolution and Retention Director Jay Sheppard.
Sheppard says Southeast Texans to go on their website to find vetted contractors.
"On the public profile generally will have the business start date, will have if they have any complaints or customer reviews. If you see it in our a typically means, we don't have enough information to give them a rating," Sheppard said.
Sheppard does not want anyone to end up spending money for no results.
"We've had individuals come in here they don't even know the companies name that sounds unbelievable, but that does happen," she said.
If you need to report any contractor scams, or need to file a complaint about an illegitimate business, reach out to your local Better Business Bureau.
