Citizens Should Be Wary of Scammers in Wake of Hurricane Florence

BOLIVIA, NC — Sept. 17, 2018 — Citizens should be aware that following large storms and weather events, scammers sometimes target residents in the affected areas. Following a storm, citizens should be cautious about door-to-door offers of repair services and fliers or business cards that are left in the front door. Citizens should never pay for repairs in cash, and should remember that contractors may not undertake projects in North Carolina where the cost is $30,000 or more unless they hold a license from the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.

Brunswick County is not endorsing contractors or vendors, and Brunswick County Public Utilities has not authorized any vendors to make repairs to utility lines on their behalf.

Citizens making repairs following Hurricane Florence can verify licenses for any contractors licensed in North Carolina with the NC Licensing Board.

Citizens can go to https://nclbgc.org/ to verify North Carolina contractors’ licenses.

More tips for protecting yourself while hiring a contractor to make repairs are available from the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors at https://nclbgc.org/books/NCLBGC%20Disaster.pdf.

If citizens encounter someone making such a claim or suspect a scammer in Brunswick County, they can report it to 911, 910-253-2777, or 910-253-5383.