Lansing, Michigan – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning residents across the state to remain vigilant for scams following the severe storms that recently caused significant damage in parts of southwest Michigan.
As communities begin the difficult process of recovery, officials say dishonest individuals often attempt to exploit the chaos that follows natural disasters.
“Our hearts are with the families and communities who are dealing with the aftermath of this devastating storm,” said Attorney General Nessel.
“Unfortunately, when people are trying to recover, bad actors look to take advantage of that hardship. Education and awareness are the best tools we have to protect ourselves and our neighbors. Our Consumer Protection team is committed to investigating complaints, and I encourage anyone who believes a business or individual is engaging in price gouging or fraudulent activity in response to the severe weather to contact our office.”
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The National Weather Service said that four tornadoes hit Cass, Branch, and St. Joseph counties on Friday, March 6. Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a state of emergency in all of those counties because of the severe devastation.
Nessel’s office has sent out two new consumer advisories to help people avoid frequent post-disaster scams. This is because of the damage and the rebuilding operations that are currently going on.
The first advisory is about how to keep homeowners safe as they fix storm damage. After an emergency, officials tell people to think about it before agreeing to engage with contractors that come to them right away. Real contractors know that homeowners need time to check credentials, examine options, and talk to their insurance companies before agreeing to repairs.
Residents should carefully read their homeowner’s insurance policy and talk to their insurance companies directly to find out what damage may be covered and what charges they may have to pay. The attorney general’s office says that before choosing a contractor, you should make sure the company is licensed and insured, and look into its reputation and history of complaints.
Officials also underline how important it is to have written agreements. People should make sure that all commitments and estimations are in a signed contract. Never pay for everything up front. It’s usually safer to use a credit card because it lets you challenge charges if the service isn’t done as promised.
The second notice is about utility impostor frauds, which can happen when major storms knock off power or other important services. Scammers in these schemes pretend to be employees of utility providers and encourage people to pay right away to get their service back.
Authorities advise people to check these claims for themselves. If someone calls and says they work for a utility business, customers should check for information on outages on the firm’s official website or call the utility directly using the number on a recent bill. Officials also say not to call back numbers that you don’t recognize that are left in voicemail messages or give out payment information over the phone.
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Nessel’s office noted that these steps can assist keep people safe while communities in southwest Michigan continue to rebuild from the storms that hit them recently.