ROSWELL, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
After getting several calls about contractor scams, the Roswell Police Department decided to help "arm" its residents. The city will host a free workshop Monday night.
The workshop will teach homeowners how to protect themselves from people who pose as home contractors and rip them off when it comes to home improvement projects.
Phae Howard is with The National Center for the Prevention of Home Improvement Fraud. The nonprofit is working with Roswell police to help educate homeowners.
The group has a warning for homeowners: If you think you're smarter than a contractor, think again.
"Certainly those contractors that just show up at your door, those are red flags. That's a red flag just by itself," said Howard. "And all these guys do is sit around and figure out how to rip people off."
Homeowner Evelyn Coleman has live in her Roswell home for 70 years. She likes the idea of educating people about what to look for in a bad contractor. She hasn't been a victim of a contractor scam, but has come very close.
"I had one guy that came in the house and looked around," Coleman said.
She didn't buy into the story of her home needing work done, but knows others haven't been as savvy.
"I think they need to be caught and done something with because they could easily do it to me," she said.
The Smart-Power Workshop is set for Monday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Roswell Library on Norcross Street. The event is free and open to the public.
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