Officials warn victims about scams in wake of fire

Posted: 07.05.2012 at 5:16 PM

Flames from the Waldo Canyon fire are seen in the distance / FOX21 News

By Brian McConchie

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - As fire victims continue to take stock of the damage caused by the Waldo Canyon fire, the road to recovery begins and it can be filled with plenty of hazards.

Fire victims looking to rebuild need to be aware of criminals looking to make some cash off of them while their guard is down.

"It's unfortnuate with most catastrophic events, people try to make a quick buck after it and they'll go and try to take advantage of people in these situations," said Stephanie Howell of Allstate Insurance.

As people look to rebound, insurance agents from companies like Allstate have people on the ground walking people through the process of recovering from the fire. They are quick to point out that victims should rush into any deals with contractors without doing their due diligence.

Officials advise people to check an an approved list of local contractors or contact the Better Business Bureau for reputable businesses.

There are also some warning signs of trouble.

"You have to look for people who come door-to-door and who are aggressive," said Howell. "Anybody who wants your business up front and wants you to pay immediately and upfront avoid those people."

While there haven't been any major reports of scammer activity just yet in the wake of the fire, experts always anticipate a wave of people looking to make dollars off of disaster, and law enforcement is ready for them.

"Anybody who's looking to do that and again victimize these people in that way by trying to steal money from them and not provide the service that you're promsing, I assure you that there are criminal penalties involved for that," said Lt. Jeff Kramer of the El Paso County Sheriff's Department.

But if people take the proper steps during the recovery process, they can avoid even more despair as they look to recover from disaster.

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