As energy costs rise, scammers are increasingly targeting homeowners with sophisticated "energy evaluation" or "audit" scams. These schemes often start with a knock at your door or an unexpected phone call from someone claiming to represent a government agency or your local utility company. How the Scam Works
: Scammers offer a "free" or discounted home energy inspection. Once inside, they may use fake equipment or misleading technical jargon to claim your home is inefficient or even unsafe. Energy Evaluation Scam
: After the "inspection," they pressure you to sign contracts for overpriced or ineffective equipment, such as $4,000 "solar blankets" or fake energy-saving plug-in devices that do nothing to reduce costs. As energy costs rise, scammers are increasingly targeting