ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — On Wednesday morning, I met with Erick Gill, who serves as the St. Lucie County communications director. He offered three tips on how to avoid being defrauded or scammed by contractors in the wake of a hurricane.
"We realize when you have damage to your home, the first thing you want to do is get back to normal and get your house back in order. And you may be quick to the first person that shows up to your house. Yeah, go ahead and get that work done. But that's not always the best advice," Gill said.
How to not get defrauded:
- Make sure you get at least three quotes
- Make sure the business is a licensed business and a licensed contractor in Florida by going to the state's website by clicking here
- Don't give more than 10% or 15% deposit
“[If people are asking] 50% up front, that's a red flag right away. And you need to step back a little bit and make sure you get some look at another vendor," Gill said.
