Was your home damaged? Advice to avoid repair scams in Johnson County, surrounding area

If a storm damages your home, it may be smart to do some homework before you decide who to let fix it.

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe issued a statement on Thursday to warn homeowners to not fall for insurance or home repair scams if homes were damaged by Wednesday’s windstorm.

Here are some DOs and DON’Ts based on Howe’s guidance for property owners with storm damage.

DO

• First, make direct contact with your insurance provider yourself.

• Get repairs done by a reputable local business that you can verify. You can do so by checking to see if the local phone number works and if the local address is a real place.

• Look for out of state license plates or unmarked vehicles belonging to people offering repairs. Howe said in the statement that these could indicate someone who is coming from out of town to try to capitalize on storm damage, and may be a scammer.

• Ask contractors for proof of their license to do work in Johnson County.

• Ask anyone doing work on your roof to show their proof of registration with the state of Kansas.

DON’T

• Give any personal information to people attempting to provide insurance or repair services by going door to door.

• Give any personal information to someone calling you and offering repair services if you did not reach out to that specific person first. Even if a caller knows your name or address, that does not mean you can automatically trust them, Howe warned in the statement.

• Do business with someone who does not have the appropriate licenses or permits.

Who to call if something seems off

If you live in Johnson County and have a question or want to report a scam, you can call the Johnson County District Attorney’s Consumer Hotline at 913-715-3003.

Any more questions about repairs, storm recovery or anything else? Ask our Service Journalism Team at kcq@kcstar.com or using the form below.