Mold Scams

As public knowledge about the health risks of mold has increased, so have the number of mold scams. Of course, there are many reputable, responsible, honest mold remediation professionals out there, but unfortunately, there are also some individuals that will take advantage of people and play on their fears about the health risks of mold exposure. How do you make sure you don’t get taken?

Signs That You Might Be Dealing With Mold Remediation Scams

The following things are often signs of scams, although they might not always indicate a scam, and there are also scammers that don’t do these things. These things should be red flags for you, though, causing you to ask questions or consider finding a different mold remediation professional.

Common signs of mold remediation scams include:

They offer free mold testing – unfortunately, mold testing costs money. Reputable mold testers typically charge for their services.
The same company offers mold testing and mold remediation services – this gives them an incentive to find mold in your home so you will hire them to remove it. It also gives them an incentive to say your home tests negative for mold after they’ve done the work, even if it doesn’t, so that you think they did a good job, even if they didn’t. If the same company does both mold testing and mold remediation, they should have an independent third party reviewing all of their work.
They aren’t certified by any reputable mold remediation organizations, such as the Mold Inspection Consulting and Remediation Organization (MICRO), the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors, or the Professional Mold Inspection Institute (PMII).
They want to encapsulate mold with a solid-colored sealant instead of a clear sealant – mold removal professionals that don’t do a good job of removing mold sometimes want to hide the evidence of remaining mold by painting over it with a dark-colored sealant instead of using a clear sealant that allows an inspector to see what was done.
They plan to use heat to kill the mold instead of actually removing the mold from your home – this is just not very effective.
They can’t or won’t give you any references.
They don't put everything in writing.
They do not offer any guarantees regarding the effectiveness of their work – not standing behind the work they do is common with mold scams.
Asking for the entire payment upfront is a common mold scam. A fair payment plan would be 25% on the day the work starts, 25% when the work is half done, and the last 50% after the work is completed and testing done by an independent company shows the property to have acceptable/safe levels of mold.

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To Find Reputable Mold Testers Near You

We are not able to guarantee any particular mold tester will do a good job and it is not possible for us to personally vouch for any professional. We can, however, provide you with a list of certified mold testers in your area that we believe do good, honest work. We encourage you to verify the credentials of any professional you are considering and dig deeper, or look elsewhere, if any of the red flags listed above are in evidence. For a list of certified mold testers in your area, just follow the link.

To Find Reputable Mold Removal Professionals Near You

We are not able to guarantee any particular mold remediation professional will do a good job and it is not possible for us to personally vouch for any professional. We can, however, provide you with a list of mold remediation professionals in your area that we believe have the experience and qualifications needed to do good work. We encourage you to verify the credentials of any professional you are considering and dig deeper, or look elsewhere, if any of the red flags listed above are in evidence. For a list of mold remediation professionals in your area, just follow this link.

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