22. Say No To Chimney Sweep Scams.
Many people grew up watching the Disney classic Mary Poppins and danced all over the house when all of the chimney sweeps got onto the rooftops of London together to do a song and dance number. Chimney sweeps may not dress all in black and cover their faces in soot before singing and dancing together. However, many people still use them to help keep their chimneys in good condition. These helpful individuals clean all of the ash and soot that can build up in a chimney and cause it not to be as efficient as it could be. According to Rockford Register Star, the problem is that some chimney sweeps can also be expert scam artists.
A chimney sweep scam goes something like this. A scam artist disguised as a chimney sweep will call you or come to your home. They will convince you that your chimney needs to be swept to be in its best shape. From there, the fraudster will attempt to convince you that you need expensive — and unnecessary — repairs. Of course, they will be kind enough to provide them. You can bet that any money you pay up-front for those repairs will be lost. Too bad you can’t have Bert from Mary Poppins sweep your chimney and give you some complimentary entertainment! To avoid falling prey to this kind of scam, always look for a recommendation from someone else in the community. Alternatively, find a chimney sweep whom the Better Business Bureau has verified.
