Experts urge property owners to beware of storm repair scams

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — Last weekend’s severe weather outbreak left damage across West Tennessee that have a few residents still picking up the pieces. According to local emergency management officials, property owners should be on the lookout for repair scams.

“Yes, you’ve been hit. You’re a victim of a tornado. Don’t be a victim of a scam,” Jackson-Madison County Emergency Management Director Marty Clements said.

If you have to do some repairs to your home, there are a few signs you can watch out for to spot construction fraud. Clements tells us one of the big signs you need to look out for is to make sure you never pay in cash.

“Insurance companies want a paper trail, the government wants a paper trail,” Clements said. “So if you’re just giving cash to somebody, you need them to take a picture of them grabbing that cash.”

If your home does need to be repaired, Clements says there are a few ways to tell if a company is legitimate. According to the owner of West Tennessee Restoration, David McVay, locals can check if a company is legitimate through the Better Business Bureau.

“Some of the things that insurance companies ask us to do to legitimize us as opposed to fly-by-night organizations is we background check all of our employees,” McVay said.

Scammers may attempt to rip off victims of their insurance money, which can be difficult to track, says State Farm Agent Wes Harris.

“If they’re not local, if they’re going around to several other houses, you may not be able to track them down,” Harris said.

In case of another severe weather event, local emergency management is always able to help.

“Every one of them will set up something to make sure to keep you from being victimized a second time,” Clements said.

Clements says you can look up ways to spot repair fraud online through FEMA. You can find the links in the Seen on 7 section of our website.