Citizens can get one-on-one advice to protect themselves against home repair contractor scams. The counseling sessions end on Friday, July 20, but help is still available online through The National Center for the Prevention of Home Improvement Fraud.
(Birmingham, AL, July 13, 2012) – With residents still rebuilding from a year of deadly tornadoes and damaging storms, it’s even more important that citizens, especially seniors, arm themselves with knowledge to avoid becoming victims of unscrupulous home repair contractors.
Phae Howard, Executive Director of The National Center for the Prevention of Home Improvement Fraud (NCPHIF), is back in Birmingham to continue the nonprofit’s mission to educate homeowners on ways to protect themselves from home repair and home improvement contractor fraud and scams. Howard conducted a SmartPower workshop in Birmingham last year in April, just before the deadly tornado outbreak hit. After the outbreak, the NCPHIF returned with a similar workshop.
The NCPHIF is now offering FREE one-on-one sessions to disaster victims – or to any citizen in need of help and advice on home improvement issues – to offer fraud-prevention guidance as they rebuild and repair their homes.
Now through July 20th, Howard is using Birmingham’s City Hall as the NCPHIF’s Fraud Prevention Resource Center. It is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
“Our doors are open to everyone, especially disaster victims,” Howard says. “If you own a home or are planning on owning a home, at some point, you are going to have to deal with a contractor. Everyone needs the information we will provide at the Resource Center. When we counsel people who’ve already been victimized by scamming contractors, nearly every time we find that, if they had just gotten the right information earlier, they could have avoided losing their money.”
Any homeowner who is undertaking or anticipating a home repair or home improvement project, should arm themselves with fraud prevention strategies, regardless of where they are in the process. The Resource Center offers credible information on what to do before, during and after a home repair project.
Howard is also available after hours to share information at churches and community organizations during her extended stay in Birmingham. NCPHIF presents fraud prevention tutorials to homeowners in communities throughout the country.
“If any homeowner has any question — any question at all — about their rebuild or repair project, they can come to the Resource Center for free and valuable information and assistance,” Howard says.
The Home Depot is also supporting the Resource Center by providing volunteers and assisting Howard during her visit. “We are so grateful to the City of Birmingham, The Home Depot and other local organizations who have offered their support” she says.
