Beware of a phone call or a knock at the door with a sales pitch similar to, “We are in your area and we are giving ‘free’ inspections on your air conditioning unit”, or “according to your warranty it is time for the annual inspection of your roof”.

We have received several calls into the Fraud Line over the last few weeks from homeowners; particularly those living in manufactured homes, who have been contacted by “alleged” roofing repair companies. These scammers attempt to convince their unsuspecting victims that they are the original company who placed the roof on the victim’s residence, and in order to maintain the homeowners’ warranty, they must inspect it immediately. Once the inspection is complete, the con-artist submits an estimate to the homeowner for thousands of dollars of unnecessary repair work. The Sheriff’s Office recommends you always check with the company who issued the original warranty to determine what costs are covered, whether or not a yearly inspection is required and who to contact for inspections and repairs.

In addition, with summer fast approaching, residents should be wary of “contractors” who happen to be in your neighborhood offering “free” air conditioning inspections, bargains or immediate service. These “free” inspections can end up costing the homeowner thousands of dollars due to inflated prices, sloppy workmanship that requires correction, and/or a voided warranty.

* The Lee County Sheriff’s advises consumers to thoroughly check out contractors:

* Get at least three bids before choosing your service company.

* Don’t do business with an unlicensed contractor.

* Get a reliability report from the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org.

* Insist on a written contract detailing the work to be done.

You can be certain that if you do the required “home” work on the front end you will successfully achieve an A+ in satisfaction.

If you have questions about this scam or if you have received a call and would like to report it, please contact the Fraud Hotline at 239-477-1242.

Source: Lee County Crime Stoppers