{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Chicks in Construction","title":"Contractor Collapse: How Homeowners Can Protect Themselves","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3572,"description":"On this episode of The Chicks in Construction, hosts Mikki Paradis and Jessica Abreu discuss how scammers exploit stress and access to personal information, including a story of a woman in the Raleigh area who was tricked by a caller ID–spoofed “Wake County Sheriff’s Office” into paying $4,000 to “buy out” a fake warrant. They explain why law enforcement doesn’t collect payments over the phone and advise hanging up and calling the non-emergency number directly. The conversation then shifts to an Arizona luxury pool contractor situation where homeowners paid large deposits for $80,000–$200,000 backyard projects that stalled, leaving unsafe excavation pits and unfinished work. They outline red flags like massive upfront deposits, loss of momentum, vague delays, and misleading social media, and recommend protections such as milestone-based payments, verifying suppliers, checking licensing/standing, and cutting losses early.00:00 Contractor Scam Reality Check00:31 Meet The Hosts And Mission01:27 Jury Duty Sheriff Scam04:37 Dark Web And Number Cloning09:04 How The Scam Extracts Money12:40 Aftermath And Safety Tips20:22 Share Your Horror Stories21:51 Arizona Luxury Pool Nightmare25:52 Deposits Paid Then The Collapse27:43 Pool Build Nightmare28:43 Cashflow Collapse Explained30:44 Upfront Deposit Red Flags33:15 Permits Inspections Pushback37:06 Branding Can Be Fake40:06 Momentum Stalls and Demo Trap45:17 No Crew Means No Pay48:05 Protect Yourself With Milestones51:43 References Research and Reality56:09 Final Lessons and Call In","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/U4RQe6qavAk3WxUWLiKdTLcjOSkCRvzyPPS1Dj1fGLU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hMWVi/MzVhNTA2ZjUwMWI3/YzA2MDkxZmU3Njlh/NzkzNS5qcGVn.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}