{"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.\n00:00 Contractor Scam Reality Check\n00:31 Meet The Hosts And Mission\n01:27 Jury Duty Sheriff Scam\n04:37 Dark Web And Number Cloning\n09:04 How The Scam Extracts Money\n12:40 Aftermath And Safety Tips\n20:22 Share Your Horror Stories\n21:51 Arizona Luxury Pool Nightmare\n25:52 Deposits Paid Then The Collapse\n27:43 Pool Build Nightmare\n28:43 Cashflow Collapse Explained\n30:44 Upfront Deposit Red Flags\n33:15 Permits Inspections Pushback\n37:06 Branding Can Be Fake\n40:06 Momentum Stalls and Demo Trap\n45:17 No Crew Means No Pay\n48:05 Protect Yourself With Milestones\n51:43 References Research and Reality\n56:09 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}