1 For Immediate Release Rodney Mortillaro Allstate Services Int'l Inc. Phone :609-586-58 !

a" :815- 61-9186 e#ail: allstate$%sa.net How The Latest Bait And Switch Carpet Cleaning Scam Can Lead To Burglary, Home Invasion And Identity The t &a#ilton' () - )%st as s%re as the s%nrise' it*s +%aranteed to ha,,en every S,rin+. -hey ,ro#ise to clean all the car,ets in yo%r ho%se .or /59.00. So%nd too +ood to 0e tr%e1 It ,ro0a0ly is. -o #a2e #atters 3orse' they .inally sho3 %,4three ho%rs late-in a 0eat %, ,ic2-%, tr%c2 3ith no co#,any na#e' and ho, o%t in torn 5eans and a soiled tee-shirt. -hen yo% reali6e it: yo%*ve 0een the victi# o. a 0ait -and -s3itch ca#,ai+n. 7hat is 0ait and s3itch1 8ait and s3itch sca#s 3or2 li2e this: a co#,any advertises cleanin+ a roo#.%l o. car,et .or a ridic%lo%sly lo3 ,rice. 7hen they arrive' they in.or# yo% the ,rice they 9%oted is only .or the tra..ic lanes and doesn*t incl%de any cleanin+ che#icals.: -hat*s li2e ta2in+ a 0ath 3ith no soa,': says senior te"tile ins,ector Rodney Mortillaro at 333.Allstate;leanin+.;o# . So yo% a+ree to ,ay e"tra .or the che#icals 0eca%se yo% are than2.%l so#eone sho3ed %,. In the end' the .inal 0ill ends %, costin+ yo% h%ndreds o. dollars. Another ty,ical sca# is hearin+ that a co#,any 3ill clean a set a#o%nt o. roo#s .or a very lo3 ,rice < li2e 5 roo#s .or /=9.00>. A.ter they 0e+in' yo% discover a linen closet' hall3ay' .oyer' or re+%lar closet co%nts as a roo#' and yo% 3ind %, ,ayin+ a lot #ore than yo% tho%+ht yo% 3o%ld. 8ait-and-s3itch sca#s are es,ecially tar+eted at the elderly. Seniors are #ore li2ely to 0e inti#idated 0y hi+h ,ress%re tactics and 0y so#eone 3ho ?,ro#ises: to +ive then a +ood deal. -he latest car,et cleanin+ r%se is ,ro#oted thro%+h deal-o.-the-day 3e0sites. -hat*s 3here yo%*re o..ered roo#s o. car,et cleanin+ .or /=9. -o ta2e advanta+e o. this o..er' yo% have to ,re,ay .or a non-re.%nda0le certi.icate that e",ires in 90 days. Also' the 3e0site that #a2es the o..er IS (@- res,onsi0le .or the 9%ality o. the 3or2. Pl%s all sales are .inal. 7hat yo% don*t 2no3 is that #ost co#,anies that do this 3ent into 0%siness yesterday. -hen' they have have to +ive hal. o. the /=9 or /A=.50 to the deal-o.-the-day 3e0sites. Bo yo% really thin2 that they can a..ord to clean roo#s o. car,ets in yo%r ho%se .or /A=.50 and still #a2e a ,ro.it1 @. co%rse not. Most o. the ti#e' they don*t even sho3 %, .or a,,oint#ents. I. they do sho3 %,' then they'll tell yo% that yo%'re +oin+ to +et a 9%ic2 dash and s,lash 5o0 that 5%st %ses 3ater. !"R#

I. yo% 3ant a 0etter 5o0' yo%'ll have to .or2 %, #ore #oney .or the# to %se a cleanin+ che#ical. @r they +et so #any calls' they*ll 0oo2 yo% o%t three #onths in advance and then the certi.icate e",ires. I. they do sho3 %,' the 5o0 3on't 0e +%aranteed. I. yo% co#,lain a0o%t the# to the 888' Cel, or Doo+leE' that*s @F. -hey*ll 0e in 0%siness to#orro3 %nder another na#e as 9%ic2 as yo% can chan+e yo%r soc2s. -hen they*ll do it all over a+ain. @ne reason 3hy they #ay clean .or s%ch a lo3 ,rice is 0eca%se the cleaners are +an+ 0an+ers or ille+al aliens 3ith cri#inal records' or they #ay 0e .orei+n nationals. Gnterin+ yo%r ho#e allo3s the# to HcaseH yo%r ho#e to ,lan a .%t%re 0%r+lary or ho#e invasion. Also'they #ay sell yo%r credit card in.or#ation to an identity the.t rin+. So ho3 can yo% avoid a 0ait-and-s3itch sca#1 -he 0est ,rotection a+ainst 0ait-and-s3itch is to as2 so#e ,ointed 9%estions 0e.ore the cleaner arrives at yo%r ho#e. ;all several local cleanin+ co#,anies. I. the co#,any cannot ans3er si#,le 9%estions' #ove on to another co#,any. Re#e#0er' i. it so%nds too +ood to 0e tr%e' it ,ro0a0ly is. &ere are 10 9%estions yo% sho%ld as2: 1. Are yo% certi.ied in car,et cleanin+1 I. not' 3hat ty,e o. .or#al trainin+ do yo% have1 A. &o3 #any years has yo%r co#,any 0een in 0%siness1 < the lon+er' the 0etter> . ;an yo% ,rovide a list o. re.erences I can call1 =. Is yo%r co#,any dr%+' alcohol and cri#inal .ree1 < ;o#,anies that don*t screen their e#,loyees can ,%t yo% and yo%r loved ones at ris2. -o 0e on the sa.e side' B@ (@- deal 3ith co#,anies or cleaners 3ho don*t ,re-screen and dr%+ test their e#,loyees and 3ho are not 0onded > 5. ;an yo% ,rovide ,roo. o. ins%rance and a 0%siness license1 6. 7hat ste,s 3ill 0e incl%ded in yo%r cleanin+ ,rocess1 I. &o3 lon+ 3ill it ta2e .or the car,et to dry1 8. Bo yo% o..er .ree' no-o0li+ation' on-site 3ritten 9%otations1 9. Bo yo% o..er a 3ritten' satis.action or #oney 0ac2 +%arantee1 10. ;an yo% veri.y that yo%r cleanin+ sol%tions sa.e .or #y .a#ily and #y ,ets 1 A.ter yo%r 9%estions have 0een ans3ered' yo% also #ay 3hat to chec2 the .ir#*s re,%tation 3ith the 8etter 8%siness 8%rea% at 333. 000.or+. Co% can also chec2 the cons%#er a..airs de,art#ent o. yo%r state*s attorney +eneral*s o..ice. ?Co%*d 0e shoc2ed at the n%#0er o. co#,anies that have lo%sy re,%tations 3hen it co#es to addressin+ cons%#er co#,laints:says Mortillaro. 7hen yo% have decided on a cleaner' #a2e s%re yo% ,ay yo%r 0ill 3ith a #a5or credit card. So#eti#es it*s di..ic%lt +ettin+ a cleaner to co#e 0ac2 to .i" a ,ro0le# a.ter yo%*ve ,aid the 0ill .Payin+ 0y credit card 3ill +ive yo% an o,tion to dis,%te the 0ill i. the ,ro0le# is not resolved to yo%r satis.action. JJJ