Beware the 'underground economy'
By Connie ThompsonSEATTLE -- The economic slowdown is putting more consumers at risk for an underground economy. MultimediaState regulators say bogus contractors and illegal businesses are working under the radar. They can be tough to check out and even tougher to find when something goes wrong. So the state is launching a new Web site to help make it easier to spot a problem before you sign that contract. The new Web site is Suspectfraud.com It links all the key licensing and consumer protection agencies in the state, to make it easier for you to report problems, and check out a business or contractor that may be operating illegally. Regulators cite All My Sons Moving as a classic example. Last November, state investigators yanked the Kent company's operating permits after repeated complaints of over-charging, inaccurate estimates, and mishandled damage claims. But despite the state action last year, investigators say All My Sons continues to operate illegally. This month, state regulators went to court to shut the company down for good. The state says the new website will make it easier to find out about unlicensed businesses and problem contractors, by creating a one-stop-shopping site with links to the Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau, The Department of Labor and Industries, and other agencies that collect information to help you make a smart choice and protect your money. But the state also stands to benefit from this new website, by getting you to report what it calls "underground businesses." According to the Department of Revenue, unlicensed businesses defraud the state of $457 million a year in lost taxes. $183 million of that money is lost to illegal contractors, like the bogus window installer that took thousands of dollars from local consumers last year, leaving them with nothing but a hole in the wall. For more information: |
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February 9, 2012
- Roseburg, Oregon
