Tampa officials warn of post-Milton scammers looking for victims

The city of Tampa is telling residents to do their homework before hiring contractors and workers.

By Louis Llovio
| 1:30 p.m. October 11, 2024
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

ity of Tampa wants to remind residents to be cautious when hiring someone to make repairs.

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

Tampa is telling residents to watch out for scammers.

The city on Friday issued a warning to citizens alerting them to the reality that unscrupulous contractors or unqualified out-of-state workers are lurking and looking to “take advantage of Floridians in need of expert service.”

The concern is particularly acute because the number of qualified contractors working may be in short supply given the severe damage from the back-to-back hurricanes of the past couple of weeks.

To protect oneself, Tampa officials tell residents to check if individuals offering services are licensed in Florida by checking with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation or by going to myfloridalicense.com.

The city also points residents to Florida’s Disaster Contractors Network.

The network, which has just been activated, offers support to homeowners in need of emergency repairs. It was created by DBPR and “designed to connect homeowners with licensed contractors and suppliers to perform emergency repairs.”

It’s designed so that once homeowners know what repairs they need, they can go online to search for local state-licensed contractors.

Protect yourself

Tips for hiring a contractor:

Insurance evaluation: To ensure repair work will be covered under your insurance policy have an insurance company evaluate damage before arranging repairs.

Estimates: Obtain at least three written, itemized estimates.

Bogus offers: Watch out for unsolicited offers or contractors claiming to perform repairs at a discount with leftover supplies from another job

Do your research: Check on a company’s reputation, look for references online and check to see if a company is properly licensed, insured, and if there are any consumer complaints filed.

Bonded: Make sure a contractor is bonded and verified with a bonding agency

Read the fine print: Read the entire contract before signing to ensure it includes the required buyer’s right to cancel language.

Liens: Insist on releases of any liens that could be placed on the property from all subcontractors prior to making final payments.

Deposits and final payment: Never pay the full amount of a repair expense upfront and be wary before providing large deposits. Do not sign a certificate of completion or make final payment until satisfied with the work performed.

Source: Florida Attorney General’s Office

author

Louis Llovio

Louis Llovio is the deputy managing editor at the Business Observer. Before going to work at the Observer, the longtime business writer worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Maryland Daily Record and for the Baltimore Sun Media Group. He lives in Tampa.