An Oklahoma homeowner, Dylan Teachman, was scammed out of $9,300 by a contractor, Colton Marek, who promised to install an above-ground storm shelter with a custom door. Teachman had paid Marek in cash upfront, but the work was never completed.

History of Scamming

Marek has a history of taking money from clients and not completing the work. Court documents show that he scammed a Blanchard woman out of $8,500 for a shop that was never built, and another Grady County resident out of $3,500 for a driveway and tin horn installation project that was never done.

Teachman decided to take matters into his own hands and set up a sting operation to catch Marek. He called Marek and told him he wanted to add some concrete to his patio, and Marek fell for it. When Marek arrived at Teachman’s house, the Grady County Sheriff’s department was waiting to arrest him.

Warning to Consumers

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit is warning consumers to be careful when hiring contractors. They advise consumers to research the contractor’s name on the Oklahoma State Courts Network, check with the Consumer Protection Unit, document everything, and question large upfront payments.

Stephanie Powers, deputy attorney general for consumer protection, said, ‘You really want to go with a company, a business, that is fluid enough that they can pay for their own materials upfront. The fact that they’re asking for $9,000 upfront is a red flag.’

Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.