Local BBB reports rise in scams of consumers

Details differ, but the scam is basically the same: Someone you hire off the street disappears - after you paid a deposit, for some of the work, or even all of it.

Whatever the scenario, consumers should be especially wary of scams with unemployment remaining high, Richard Eppstein, president of the Better Business Bureau of Northwest Ohio Inc., said

"You're going to see this in times like these," Mr. Eppstein said. "You got to be a lot more aware and a lot more careful than usual."

Often the result of laid-off workers trying to make money and strapped homeowners trying to save, complaints about home-repair scams locally have increased 50 percent the last several years, Mr. Eppstein said.

Complaints rising even higher are those on used cars, which have more than doubled in the last two years, Mr. Eppstein said.

People wrongly assume that used cars have warranties, or sometimes vehicles die soon after their limited 30-day warranties expire, he said.

"There's nothing we can do," Mr. Eppstein said. "There's no lemon law on used cars, contrary to popular opinion."

In other scams affecting Ohioans, residents may receive phone calls from the Washington, D.C., area from scammers posing as federal grant officers, according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

The scam artists, who also use e-mails and letters using words such as "federal," "stimulus package," and "grant," require residents to pay a percentage fee before receiving the "free" government assistance, it said.

College students also are targets of scammers, who promise they can make thousands of dollars working at home, for example, or request fees to receive scholarships, it said.

Suspected scams can be reported to the state by calling 1-800-282-0515.

To avoid home-repair scams, Mr. Eppstein said, residents should talk to references and, for costly jobs, require written contracts. Don't pay a lot of money until work is satisfactorily completed, either, he said.

Traditional contractors may not cost as much as homeowners think, especially because they are insured in case accidents happens, Mr. Eppstein added.

Not all independent home-improvement offers are scams, but people should stick with recommended workers, he said.

"There are guys out there who are very good," Mr. Eppstein said.

Those buying used cars from other than established dealers offering warranties should take them to a reputable mechanic for examination, Mr. Eppstein said.

If a seller doesn't allow a mechanic to examine a vehicle, that is a sign of a scam, he said.

Contact Julie M. McKinnon at:

jmckinnon@theblade.com

or 419-724-6087.