They asked to speak to the owner of the house by name and then asked for my sister by name, I replied with they are not home. He did not want to leave a message and he hung up.
Got the call today as Carl Chancelien. First of many Im sure. Last month it was the IRS calling telling me I have to contact right away. Another spoofed number. What exactly are these people getting out of this?
Chimney work can be a pretty easy scam to perpetrate because most homeowners don’t know much about their chimneys and usually don’t have any good way of checking up to see that the job was done properly. In a recent article, FOXBusiness turned to Better Business Bureau to uncover the latest chimney sweeping scams.
Scams can happen all the time, but tend to increase in times of turmoil, like when a tree falls on the roof or soot is backing up into the house. Criminals prey on desperation and the likelihood that the homeowner hasn’t climbed onto the roof to see what’s going on.
A prevalent scam involves an unscrupulous individual knocking on a homeowner’s door offering a deal on a chimney cleaning service because he or she is in the neighborhood. The scam artist may look legit, spend some time around the chimney and then leave with the payment without making any repairs or real inspections.
In another scam, the fraudster takes a deposit for a future appointment and then disappears for good. Criminals will even use fake referrals to lure in reluctant consumers. For instance, the scammer may pretend to be from the local fire department and recommend a particular chimney sweep company. He or she will even take a credit card deposit over the phone, opening the door to identity theft.
High pressure sales are a tactic that many unscrupulous sweepers use to get business. As with all home contracting services, don’t be rushed into a decision. Research the companies, starting at bbb.org, and make sure the business you hire has a good reputation and happy customers. Be cautious of red flags: prices considerably lower than competitors, claims of an endorsement from the fire department, unmarked trucks or service personnel with no identification and websites, emails or flyers with typos or poor grammar.
To read the full article, visit www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2014/01/ ... y-cleaner-scams.
They asked to speak to the owner of the house by name and then asked for my sister by name, I replied with they are not home. He did not want to leave a message and he hung up.
The number has started calling again; never leaves a message and I know it is a bogus number/scam. There has got to be a way to stop this nonsense - I receive numerous calls like this per week. If I block this number, they'll only call back using a new one. It's tiring and frustrating.