May 11th, 2021
Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford
warns Nevadans of government imposter scams occurring in the solar industry. The
Office of the Nevada Attorney General has received information that a solar
company, calling itself the Nevada Department of Clean Energy, is falsely holding
themselves out to be a government-affiliated entity. They are using this name
to falsely convince consumers that their business and services are being
performed on behalf of the state, county or city. Nevadans should be assured
that the State of Nevada does not have an agency named the Nevada Department of
Clean Energy.
In a recently reported scam, solar sales representatives
may provide a company name that appears to be connected with the state government
to gain access to a resident’s home. Once inside, the scammers take pictures of
the residents’ appliances and energy meters, and aggressively market vague
solar products to them. In addition, these scammers disparage other legitimate
solar companies in an attempt to persuade the residents to purchase solar from
them. Consumers may be more likely to believe these sales representatives
because they hold themselves out as employees of official government offices. However,
these scammers are simply using the goodwill of the government to mislead the
public and gain entry to people’s home and sell them solar.
“Government imposter
scams are prevalent, even in the solar industry,” said AG Ford. “Nevadans, I’m encouraging all of you to be
cautious before inviting someone into your home or purchasing any services. If
a company or service sounds suspicious, it probably is. Check out some helpful
tips from my office to protect yourself from these scams especially as
temperature and solar sales increase in the upcoming summer months.”
In 2020, the Office of the Nevada Attorney
General entered into an Assurance of Discontinuance with a solar company that
had marketed itself as being connected with Clark County. This company not only
used “Clark County” in its name but distributed approximately 10,000 flyers
that contained Clark County’s official seal in attempt to sell solar.
Do not fall victim
to this or other similar scams. Instead, our Bureau of Consumer Protection suggests
that you consider the following tips:
A government entity will not go door to door
to sell you solar. If a solar sales representative says they are with the government,
consider it a red flag;
Always verify the legitimacy of the company that
the solar sales representative says he or she is affiliated with. Doing your
own research is so important;
Ask for proper verification before letting
any sales representative into your home. If you are suspicious of their
identity or the sales representative refuses to provide it to you, do not
hesitate to ask them to leave;
Contact the Nevada State Contractors Board
to confirm you are hiring a solar contractor that is properly licensed in the
state of Nevada;
You may record the conversation you have
with any solar sales representative or ask them to put their representations in
writing for you; and
Remember, you can always consult with an
attorney before signing a contract.
The Office of the
Nevada Attorney General welcomes information on scams affecting Nevada
citizens. If you have been impacted by a solar scam, including this one, please
consider filing a complaint with our office here.
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