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Disfigured Demoralized Defrauded

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Inquire Before You Hire

Sacramento

An elderly couple loses their life savings of more than $230,000 after an unlicensed contractor befriends them, takes their money and leaves their house in shambles.

Pomona

An owner of an auto repair shop is accused of defrauding both consumers and insurers in addition to operating without a license. A post-repair inspection of a customer's vehicle by the Department of Consumer Affairs' Bureau of Automotive Repair found evidence that the shop owner claimed to have provided $1,125.35 in parts and labor for repairs not performed. Who paid? The consumer and the insurance company.

San Jose

A woman is disfigured for life after two botched breast implant operations by a man posing as a licensed doctor. The woman, bleeding and in agonizing pain, was rushed to the hospital after the second procedure. Both procedures were performed using only local anesthesia. The woman had been referred to the man and was told he was a "highly respected" surgeon with years of experience.

Bay Area

More than 1,400 people are taken for nearly $250,000 by a Bay Area man whose medical license was suspended eight years ago. The man faces more than 100 felony counts in San Francisco for performing fake medical exams and giving phony vaccinations.

Inquire Before You Hire!

Anyone can put an ad in the phone book, rent a building, put a sign on their van, order business cards…and threaten the health, safety, and financial well-being of Californians by operating as an unlicensed professional. Hiring one of these unlicensed, unqualified individuals or businesses puts you and your family at risk. If your car was not repaired correctly after an accident, you may be in danger in another accident. Shoddy wiring done by unlicensed contractors can cause a fire in your home. Receiving care from an unlicensed medical professional can lead to permanent disfigurement and, in some cases, death.

Unlicensed Individuals and Businesses

• Do not follow professional standards or abide by a code of conduct.
• Offer little or no recourse for dissatisfied customers.
• Steal business away from legitimate businesses and professionals who follow the rules.
• Pose a risk to the health, safety, and financial well-being of California's consumers.

Protect yourself—check the license!

The California Department of Consumer Affairs licenses more than 2.4 million professionals in more than 255 professions from accountancy to vocational nursing. This licensing protects you from unskilled, unqualified and unscrupulous business people. Although we are aggressively going after individuals that operate in the "underground economy," we cannot catch them all.

Empowered consumers are the first line of defense against unlicensed activity in California!

Before you do business, make sure you:

• Hire only licensed individuals or businesses.
• Ask to see an individual's license.
• Do not allow unlicensed people into your home.
• Check the license online at www.dca.ca.gov.

Don't let it happen to you. Inquire before you hire!

Unlicensed activity is a crime!

Report unlicensed activity!

If you feel that you or someone you know has been the victim of unlicensed activity, call our toll-free tip line at 877.STOP ULA / 877.786.7852.

For more information, visit us online at www.InquireBeforeYouHire.ca.gov or www.dca.ca.gov, or call the Consumer Information Center at 800.952.5210.