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Show Department of Commerce urges o Utahns beware of 'Williamson Gang9 i All Utahns need to be aware of a group of traveling construction and home repair con artists known as the "Williamson Gang" or "The O Travelers. ' ' I The Department of Commerce is issuing this alert due to information received from an Arizona agency regarding the current activities of this group. Typically, the agency notes, this gang comes to Utah after working in Arizona. Generally, these con artists have similar methods of operation. Scam operators canvass neighborhoods looking for homes that obviously need repair, then approach home owners and offer to make these repairs at a discounted dis-counted rate. According to David Buhler, executive director of the Department of Commerce, two significant problems usually result from using this type of construction operation. First, after a con artist completes the job they will often tell their victims that there has been a misunderstanding they owe them a lot more money than they thought. Second, the work that is performed is usually substan dardroof repairs consist of spraying used motor oil on the surface and cement repairs often crack within a few weeks. "Victims will usually be contacted in their homes by workers that 'just happen to be in the neighborhood, or 'have just finished a job down the street,' " Buhler said. "They may claim to have leftover material that they need to dispose of but would rather use. According to the Arizona agency, gang members in Arizona are doing a significantly higher number of home job repairs. Gang members gain access to victims' homes by using the names and license numbers of local legitimate contractors. Once inside the home, gang members are more aggressive ag-gressive about collecting payment and preventing victims from summoning help. The Department urges Utahns to be cautious of unlicensed, transient or "fly-by-night" operators posing as legitimate contractors. Verify licensure before allowing anyone into your home. Ask to see a copy of their contractor's license or call the Division of Occupational Oc-cupational and Professional Licensing, 530-6628. |