Home Improvement Scams: Beware of Transients!
They come out of nowhere, in packs, roaming the neighborhoods seeking for prey. They survey the area, observe the movement and carefully pick their victims. They choose the ones they think are more vulnerable, strike mercilessly, and then they are gone.
No, we are not talking about wolves or any wild beasts. We are talking about home improvement scammers: transients that travel around the country, knocking on people’s doors, pretending to be contractors and offering to make repairs.
They then ask for some money up front (or steal some property) and vanish without a trace, only to reappear in another town, under another name, scamming another home owner from his/her hard earned money.
They mostly target the elderly: people they perceive as gullible, and with money.
In Wisconsin, the Department of Consumer Protection urges consumers to beware, and offer some great tips on how to avoid such scams. Don’t be a victim!
