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Community Corner

Things To Know: Senior Scam Forum

Friday September 27th 2013 California State Senator Jerry Hill, California State Assemblymember Kevin Mullin, California State Assemblymember Rich Gordon hosted a Senior Scam Stopper forum in Redwood City. 

Participating on the panel was Lt. Sean Hart of the Redwood City Police Department, Deborah Owdom of the State RSVP/SAIF organization, Sheri Boles of the California State Public Utilities Commission, and Jane Kreisler – coordinator of the California State License Board.

www.cslb.ca.gov and www.cpuc.ca.gov and CheckTheLicenseFirst.com and SeniorScamStoppers.com are 4 of the many links to where you can find additional information.

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The next similar forum will be hosted by California State Assemblymember Kevin Mullin and San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine and the Contractors State License Board – FREE.

For more information and to RSVP (FREE - please contact California Assemblymember Mullin’s office at 650-349-2200.)  Seating is limited – Free parking at the Millbrae Library and Constitution Plaza.

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FRIDAY October 18, 2013 – 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 450 Poplar Avenue in the Chetucti Room (near the Millbrae Library) – Millbrae CA 94030

Just a few points covered in the forum:

If your project will cost $500.00 or more, your contractor MUST have a state contractor’s license

You should interview at least 3 contractors and get at least 3 written estimates for the exact same tasks.

Contractors must have workers compensation insurance.

Down payment cannot exceed $1,000.00 or 10% of the estimated job – whichever is LESS

Most contractors will not go door to door looking for work – they are just too busy.

All contractor mailings looking for a job MUST contain their California State Contractor’s license number on it.  You can always go to the State Contractors Licensing Board to check on a contractor’s license number.

There are computer programs available that will let callers to cause your caller ID to infer the call is coming from a person different than the caller – like it is coming from the local Police Department.  Do not automatically believe your caller ID.

There is a *72 phone scam.  Do not follow anyone’s directions in calling *72 followed by an area code and a phone number.

There is an Area Code 809 phone scam – Do not return a call to an 809 phone number.  Call your phone company if you have questions on the validity of where the call came from.

Check your detailed phone bill to make sure your phone supplier has not slammed or crammed your bill by adding services you did not order.

If you are pressured to invest today before you miss the opportunity or the return sounds too good to be true, it probably is a scam.  Always ask a friend, financial manager, or even the police department if they heard of this as a scam.

You do not need to open your door to a caller.  Just tell them NO thru the closed door so they know someone is there.

Always VERIFY VERIFY VERIFY

 

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