Employees from the Ohio Department of Insurance on Thursday were warning homeowners to be wary of contractors looking to profit after a recent storm.

Susan Pennell’s house was not among those damaged in by the Aug. 4 storm, several homes in her neighborhood were, which made it ripe for fraudulent contractors looking to make quick money, Consumer 10′s Kurt Ludlow reported.

“Contractors from other states have been coming into our state and have been convincing consumers that they have damage, when in fact they do not,” said department spokeswoman Michelle Brugh.

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Neighbors in Pennell’s neighborhood were warned to be wary of door-knocking roofing companies, especially those that want to climb up on the roof for a closer look, Ludlow reported.

“Some of these contractors will get up on a roof, they’ll take a quarter or a dime or a penny, they’ll dig it into the shingles to make it appear as though hail damage has occurred there,” said Jarrett Dunbar, with the Ohio Department of Insurance. “And they’ll let the homeowner know, look, see, you’ve got a dent in your shingle. Let’s get this roof repaired and let’s get your insurance company to pay for it.”

At that point, the roofers get homeowners to sign over their insurance proceeds to them.

Sometimes they take the money without performing any work, or will perform part of the work and then vanish.

Brugh said homeowners are the victims.

“They’re crushed. They really feel deceived,” she said.

The department suggests homeowners contact their insurance carrier if they suspect they have roof damage.

The also advise that people deal only with reputable roofing companies and be wary of high-pressure sales tactics.

Pennell said she appreciated the warning and has a message for any roofers who come knocking on her door.

“They can leave their fliers, but we’ll call you,” Pennell said. “We will call you if we need help.”

Officials were concentrating on warning residents in Marysville, Delaware, Newark and Westerville, which were all hard-hit by storm damage.