Two Recent Scams to be Aware of in the Treasure Valley

Here are a couple of recent scams to be aware of in the Treasure Valley. We have talked about one of them before and I actually found my friends house on Craigslist from this exact scam!

Posting your home for rent online, on sites like Zillow, might seem safe…but all it takes is a few clicks for someone to steal your entire post, lower the price, and have a bunch of people interested in the property. They get them to contact them and take a deposit sometimes to show the house or to be sent the keys to view the property. If you’re being asked to pay ANYTHING before you have even seen the property, that’s your first red flag. Easy targets for this type of scam are students or people moving here from out of state, because sometimes they can’t physically see the property before signing documents and paying deposits.
Another red flag…the scammers typically insist you make deposits through money gram, wire transfer, even pre-paid debit or gift cards.

Another scam to be aware of…

When you think of storm chasers, what do you think of? Someone who actually chases storms right? Hurricanes…tornadoes?  There’s actually another kind of storm chaser that you need to be aware of. Scamming roofers will travel around the country following storms and look to make money off you. After the winter weather of snow and ice we’ve had over the past few months, makes for easy targets. Lots of roof damage was done to many homes. We talked about ice dams a lot and how dangerous they can be.

Be sure to do your research. Check to see if there have been any complaints of the contractor online or with the Better Business Bureau. Not only that, check out the company on the secretary of state's website.

Also, check your insurance policy and see what is and isn't covered.

It's all about doing your research and being aware! Share with your friends and family so they don't get taken advantage of!