11/03/2020
SCAM ALERT: For homeowners and fellow small business folks.
If you are asked to do work on a property that is currently for sale and don't talk to the owner in person, ALWAYS contact the Realtor. There are degenerates requesting service for homes that are for sale. If you are selling your home, beware of this.
This has happened to me twice. Fortunately, I am no fool.
I was contacted via text for tree removal. I tried to call the customer to make sure it was a good time to quote the price. No answer, but an immediate text asking when I could give the estimate. I googled the address and found it on Zillow. Uh-oh. So I contacted the realtor.
This poor couple already had a landscaper do a bunch of work on the property because of the same scammer. I do feel bad for the guy who got cheated with a bad check, but it doesn't compare to having your property messed with. Can you imagine taking down their 100 yr old tree?
There is no obvious financial incentive for the scammer. Here are some things to look for:
1. Out of state number
2. Text only
3. Google voice or lightstream phone
4. Non-native speaker grammatical errors.
I hope everyone stays safe and the number of folks without a conscience diminishes. I'm happy to live in and serve a community that retains a higher level of interpersonal trust than most.
To my friends, existing and future customers:
Much love,
Lee
Owner - Budget Buddy's
817 505 9109