Home Repair Scams and Contractor Fraud - Don't Get Taken Advantage of at Home

Home Repair Scams and Contractor Fraud is coming to the Franklin Road Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library on Wednesday, October 28, from 3 PM to 4 PM. It's one of those sessions that feels like it's for your parents or grandparents, but it's just as useful if you're planning your own home projects. The whole thing is led by a staff attorney from the LAVA Project—Legal Assistance for Victimized Adults—which is part of Indiana Legal Services.

The LAVA Project focuses on helping people who've been targeted by fraud, and they're bringing that expertise to the library. The session covers how to spot predatory contractors and the specific warning signs to look for before you sign anything. It's not just about the red flags, either; the attorney will walk through what legal options are on the table if you've already been a victim, and offer practical tips for hiring contractors the right way from the start. If you've ever felt a bit uneasy about a quote or a contract, this is exactly the kind of thing that helps you trust your gut.

Home repair and contractor scams are among the most common ways seniors lose money and see their property value plummet, so the talk is especially geared toward protecting older adults. But anyone who owns a home can get caught in a bad deal, and having a lawyer break down the legal side of things in a public setting makes it a lot easier to ask questions you might not think of until it's too late.

If you want to keep reading on your own, the library has a book list called Outsmarting Scammers that you can check out. The session runs from 3 PM to 4 PM on Wednesday, October 28, at the Franklin Road Branch, 5550 South Franklin Road, Indianapolis, IN 46239.