Illinois Warns of Sinister Home Repair Scams That’ll Rip You Off

This is the time of year in Illinois when many are trying to hurry to finish home repair projects before the colder weather arrives. Criminals know this which is why the state of Illinois is warning of sinister home repair scams happening right now designed to rip you off.

The state of Illinois has entire website dedicated to scams. Here are the current home repair scam elements to watch out for:

• Anyone who promise to speed up the insurance or building permit process
• A company or person who large cash deposits or advance payments in full
• Any company or person who claims to be certified by FEMA - FEMA does not certify or endorse repair companies
• Someone who claims they're from FEMA asking to charge for an inspection

Be especially wary of home repair scams after a disaster or catastrophe like a tornado emergency or flood. The Illinois scam warning says that all FEMA or Small Business Association representatives will have photo ID and never charge for services.

If you do have repairs done by a company you don't know, the state of Illinois says to only make a check out to the company name and never an individual. If at all possible, they say to work only with local companies you know and trust.