Beware of air duct maintenance scam
Updated January 11, 2016
The Cerritos Sheriff's Station/Community Safety Division would like to warn residents about an air duct maintenance scam that was recently reported by a Cerritos resident.
A Cerritos resident recently received a phone call from a company offering air duct maintenance services. The company falsely claimed that the City of Cerritos endorses its services. The City of Cerritos does not endorse any air duct maintenance company.
The company also falsely claimed that the Environmental Protection Agency recommends that people have their home's air ducts cleaned. The EPA has the following air duct cleaning information on its website: "Knowledge about air duct cleaning is in its early stages, so a blanket recommendation cannot be offered as to whether you should have your air ducts in your home cleaned... Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space." For more information, visit epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html.
If you or someone you know receives a similar call from an air duct maintenance company, write down as much information from the call as you can and report the information to the Community Safety Division at (562) 916-1266.
