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TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today issued a consumer advisory in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Fay, encouraging residents to be proactive in protecting themselves from common scams. The Attorney General specifically encouraged Floridians who are victims of flooding to be alert for contractors who offer water removal services from homes and property or other repair services in the wake of the storm.

“With the flooding and other damage brought on by Tropical Storm Fay, Floridians need to be on the lookout for people who may try to profit from others’ misfortune,” said Attorney General McCollum. “This is certainly no time to be trying to take advantage of storm victims.”

With many Floridians facing the prospect of removing significant amounts of water from their property, the Attorney General cautioned that scam artists posing as contractors may seek to profit at the expense of storm victims. Consumers face the risk that services will be offered by those who are not licensed, that clean-up services will be offered at unconscionable prices, or that so-called "contractors" will accept down payments but will not do the work at all. The Attorney General offered the following consumer protection tips for those affected by Tropical Storm Fay:

- Do not pay cash to home repair contractors or water and tree removal services. Before signing a contract, check the payment terms and other provisions carefully. Don't pay a contractor in advance.

- Work only with reputable, established businesses. Avoid people who knock on your door offering to fix your roof or windows. Try to obtain more than one estimate for the repair work.

- Make sure contractors have proper occupational licenses as required by state law. Require home repair contractors to obtain all necessary government licenses and permits, rather than leaving that burden on the consumer.

State law criminalizes the sale of goods and services to the public without possession of an occupational license. Violators of the law can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor.

The Attorney General also encouraged Floridians to continue to report price gouging to the Attorney General’s Price Gouging Hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM. Under Florida law, a commodity's price is unconscionable if the increase in the price represents a "gross disparity" from the average price of that commodity during the 30 days immediately prior to the declared emergency. Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation, up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period.

More information, including additional consumer protection tips, is available online at: http://myfloridalegal.com. The Attorney General also encouraged senior Floridians to contact local Seniors vs. Crime offices for assistance with any repair-related scams. More information about Seniors vs. Crime is available online at: http://www.seniorsvscrime.com.