BATON ROUGE - Attorney General Jeff Landry is encouraging Louisiana residents to use technology in order to prevent the inevitable flood that is to come in the flooding aftermath.

“Predatory people are able to perpetrate their crimes as long as they remain anonymous,” said General Landry. “In order to protect themselves and others, homeowners are encouraged to use technology in a couple of simple, yet effective ways.”

The Attorney General says that if you are in the process of contracting for repairs, you should use the following tips:

• Take a picture of your contractor, his/her vehicle, and its license plate.
• Take a picture of the contractor’s business card and his/her driver’s license.
• Photograph or scan his/her contracting license and insurance.
• Photograph or scan the contract made with him/her.
• Photograph or scan all checks and money orders made as payments to the contractor.

Make sure all of the photos are backed up away from your device by emailing them to yourself and a trusted companion or saving them to a cloud-based application.

All contractor companies should inform their employees that they will be photographed. A licensed professional contractor will be more than happy to comply. Should a potential contractor refuse a picture, it should be red flag.

To report a scam or sign up for consumer alerts, contact the AG’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-351-4889 or visit www.AGJeffLandry.com.