‘Storm Chasers’ are Using the Artic Blast to Steal Your Money

(Lindale, Texas) - We are starting to thaw out from this recent artic blast in East Texas. Once the snow and ice melts, we'll get out and check our homes to make sure everything is still in good shape. Scammers will be doing the same thing.

Beware of random people knocking on your door, without you setting up an appointment, wanting to inspect your roof. These people are called "storm chasers" and they'll show up any time of the year after a major weather event. Learn some of their tactics and how to avoid becoming a victim.

"Storm Chasers" are in East Texas to Scam You

It doesn't matter what time of year it is, after a major weather event, there will be scammers making an attempt to steal your hard earned money (KXAN). They'll do it under the premise of being able to fix your problem at a cheaper rate than any of the licensed contractors or professional businesses in the area. Thing is, there isn't a problem.

It all sounds great and you think a great service is being performed but that just simply isn't the case. These people are called storm chasers and should be avoided at all cost. The easiest way to identify one of these storm chasers is by them knocking on your door out of the blue and saying they can inspect your home for any damage.

Another red flag is they will give you an estimate for the work and then ask for 50% of the cost up front before starting any work. A final red flag, and one where you realize you've been duped, is when they postpone the work for a random reason, then continue to postpone the work and finally cease communication with you all together.

READ MORE: Steam Devils Have Been Forming Over Texas Lakes During Artic Blast

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"Storm Chasers" in East Texas Right Now

To avoid being scammed out of your money, find a licensed contractor or business to do the work or get a referral from your insurance company. You will need to contact them to come out and do an inspection. They will not ask for an exuberant amount of money up front, if at all, to do the work. A legitimate business will keep in contact with you while doing the work.

We all hate a winter storm like we're getting out of. Don't let a scammer extend the misery of the event by stealing from you.

READ MORE: Car Chase in Lindale, Texas Ends in PIT Maneuver, Driver Arrested