Unlicensed Contractors Caught in Sting

The Contractors State License Board (CSLB), in partnership with the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office and Department of Insurance, caught 11 unlicensed operators in an undercover sting in Woodland, California recently.

Members of CSLB’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) posed as homeowners and invited suspected phony contractors to a vacant home to bid on landscaping projects. If the bid totaled more than $500 in labor and materials and the suspect was not state-licensed, they were given a notice to appear (NTA) in court to face misdemeanor charges of contracting without a license. Some also face misdemeanor charges of illegal advertising.

State law requires contractors to put their license numbers in all advertisements. Those who are not licensed may advertise to perform jobs valued at less than $500, but their ads must state that they are not licensed.