NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Better Business Bureau is preparing for an increase in home industry-related scams. Lately, home inspectors have reported an increase in scammers giving fraudulent checks in the hopes of receiving money back.
It’s a fairly simple scam. A home inspector will receive a message asking for their services, but when the alleged client sends the check, it never clears.
“My name is Jason Samuel. I am wanting to know if you are available,” read Michael Daggett, a home inspector. “On a house that I am interested in purchasing. Let me know if you can get it done, and get back to me with your quote.”
It starts with a text message from a fake person, claiming to want a home inspection done. It’s a pretty common request, which is why it can be easy to fall for this scam.
“We’ll schedule the home inspection and then they will immediately send over a check, but when you look at the check it will be $50 or $25 over what the actual inspection cost is,” explained Daggett.
That money can quickly add up. The scammer will then ask the inspector to send the difference in money back to them before the original check clears. Daggett is the owner of Inspector Daggett and has been working in the industry for years. He told News 2 this type of scam is peaking across Middle Tennessee. He even spoke with another inspector in the Mt. Juliet area, who…
