Here is a list of common mold scams starting with the most popular, along with suggestions for how to avoid being the next victim.

Mold Scam # 1:     Mold Inspectors Who Do Mold Removal
Mold Scam # 2:     Free Post-Remediation Clearance Testing
Mold Scam # 3:     Using Heat to Remediate Mold
Mold Scam # 4:     Ozone Generators
Mold Scam # 5:     House Cooking
Mold Scam # 6:     Encapsulating Mold Growth
Mold Scam # 7:     Mold Killing Products
Mold Scam # 8:     Off-Site Sampling

How To Avoid Getting Scammed:
Most people prefer to deal with one contractor for everything because its convenient. But when it comes to mold, that convenience can end up costing you thousands of dollars in bogus repair work. It is simply not worth the risk. Mold inspectors should never profit from what they find, either directly by doing the removal themselves, or indirectly by referring work to their friends for a kick-back. The only way to ensure you will get an unbiased inspection report and avoid this mold scam is to hire a Certified Mold Inspector who does not perform mold removal work.
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WHO SHOULD PERFORM POST-REMEDIATION TESTING?
Post-remediation testing should always be performed by a disinterested third-party mold inspector with no connection to the remediation contractor. Once mold contractors finish a job they are eager to get paid and move on to the next job. Since most mold removal jobs are performed for a set fee, quoted in advance, they cannot charge you more for additional work if the clearance test fails. Any costs he incurs from that point on cut directly into his profit. For that reason some mold contractors will offer free post-remediation testing, which may seem like a good idea at first since the cost of testing is typically your responsibility. But what are the chances that your contractor is going fail his own test?

How To Avoid Getting Scammed:
The only way to keep from getting scammed on this one is to not allow your contractor to do his own clearance test. Hire an un-biased third-party mold inspector for reliable verification that the job was done right and you won't have to do it over again. Remember, each clearance test can cost $200 to $300, possibly even more depending on the size of the job. Each time the test fails it must be done over again. Telling your contractor ahead of time that you intend to use a third-party inspector for clearance testing will provide plenty of inspiration and motivation to get right the first time.
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Mold has two primary attributes; one is the visible mold growth that you can see on walls, ceilings, etc. The other is the microscopic mold spores that you can't see, floating in the air. While it is possible to stop mold growth and even kill mold spores by applying intense heat, dead mold spores have the exact same physical effects on people and animals as alive mold spores do. Airborne mold spores - dead or alive - are Allergenic, Pathogenic, and Toxigenic. When inhaled, dead mold spores can trigger asthma attacks, enflame air passages, cause bronchial infections, and make you sick in many other ways.

Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the claim that heat treating a house will kill ALL the mold. The small amount of research that has been done with current heat treatment technologies has been done only in laboratories. Even if killing mold was the goal of remediation (and it is not), there is no documentation available that supports any claim that whole-house heat treatments actually kills ALL hidden mold. In fact, some studies indicate that hidden growth inside walls is still culturable (alive) after heat treatment.

Traditional Remediation Methods Are Best:
Remember: the goal of remediation is not to "kill" mold, it is to remove it. It is not necessary to kill mold to remove mold. If mold is not removed, it has not been remediated - it is still in your house. Don't be fooled by the latest tricks, shticks, and scams. Current industry standards and procedures for mold abatement are still the most effective for eliminating indoor mold problems and without question the most cost effective in the long run.

Traditional Drying Methods Are Best:
Heat treatment technologies can help dry out a structure, provided sufficient ventilation is factored into the process into remove the water vapor resulting from the heat. However, the potential damage that high heat can do to plastic wiring insulation, plastic plumbing and other building materials is not worth the risk. In the final analysis, traditional methods of drying, such as dehumidifiers and fans, are far more proficient at drying out buildings without subjecting the entire structure to the thermal stress caused by high heat treatments.

How To Avoid Getting Scammed:
If you want to avoid exposure to molds that can effect your health, you must physically remove all mold growth (dead or alive) inside your building, not heat it up. If mold is not removed, it has not been remediated, and is likely to begin growing again when moisture from humidity or water intrusion reoccurs. The best way to avoid this scam is to stick with traditional industry standard remediation protocols that focus on removing indoor mold growth, not killing it or treating it.
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First the inspector shuts all the doors and windows. Then he turns on the furnace (or air conditioner), ceiling fans, etc. to grossly exaggerate the number of mold spores in the air before taking samples. Some will even go so far as to turn on fans, fluff up couch pillows, and shake out rugs - anything to get as much mold into the air as possible. Then they use fear mongering statements and tactics when the test results come back to make you believe you must make a decision to start remediation immediately. Not knowing any better, you sign the abatement contract because - after all - they ARE the professionals.

One of the objectives of an air test is to determine if there is any difference between the indoor air and the outdoor air, in terms of mold spore levels and mold types. Therefore, closing the doors and windows before sampling is the proper way to perform an air test because it separates the air. Turning on the HVAC system is not a scam in and of itself. But there should be a valid cause for doing so and it should never be on for more than 20 minutes prior to sampling. Anything more than that, including running fans and blowers, vacuuming, fluffing up furnishing, etc., is considered a deliberate attempt to make the indoor air look worse than it actually is under normal living conditions.

How To Avoid Getting Scammed:
The best way to prepare for testing is to close all doors and windows 6 to 8 hours before testing. If any red flags or suspect conditions are detected in the visual inspection, the inspector should sample from that area. If no suspect conditions are detected, the inspector may choose to collect a sample from a central location or run the HVAC system for 20 minutes, turn it off, then collect the sample approximately 5 feet away from the HVAC cold air return, (the same procedure is proper if the doors and windows are open at the time the inspector arrives).
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REMEMBER!   A successful mold remediation job means;
1) The source of water intrusion that caused the mold growth has been indentified and remedied. 
2) All mold contaminated materials have been cut out and removed. 
3) All salvageable construction materials are completely free of mold and thoroughly dried.
4) A Certified Mold Inspector can visually confirm all of the above.
5) The airborne mold spore levels in the work area are verifiably equal to or less than outdoors.

All 5 of these requirements determine the success or failure of a remediation. If all 5 are met, there is no reason to encapsulate anything - other than to apply a moisture barrier as a precautionary measure.

How To Avoid Getting Scammed:
When interviewing potential remediation contractors, ask if they intend to encapsulate or apply any anti-microbial or water-proofing coating at any stage of the project.

REMEMBER!  KILZ IS NOT AN ENCAPSULANT
1. Say No to KILZ
Some contractors paint the remediated materials with KILZ and call it encapsulation.  This is wrong.
KILZ is a stain-killing primer paint and nothing more. It has no anti-microbial attributes. It is not a water seal or moisture barrier. Therefore it has absolutely no value as an encapsulant.  KILZ is used for one reason only, which is to cover up stains. The goal of mold remediation is to REMOVE mold, not COVER IT with paint. This is a basic fundamental truth that every qualified, certified mold abatement contractor knows. If your contractor intends to use KILZ, you should seriously consider a different contractor.

2. Insist on one of the following:
    Fiberlock Brand - IAQ 6100 Mold Resistant Coating Clear
    Foster Brand - Microbial Encapsulant5Gal Clear 

3. Insist on CLEAR coatings only.
Most legitimate anti-microbial coatings come in clear or solid colors. Some contractors intentionally use solid colors to cover up mold that they leave behind. By insisting on only clear encapsulants you will ensure that shody work doesn't get covered up. Furthermore, if the remediated surfaces are covered with KILZ or a solid color coating, it is not possible for your Inspector to visually confirm that all the mold was removed.
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If there is a single "golden rule" when it comes to getting rid of indoor mold growth it is:
The Goal of Remediation Is NEVER To KILL or TREAT Mold.   It Is ALWAYS To REMOVE Mold.

If you understand this fundamental truth, you understand the futility of any product or service that claims to "kill mold" or "treat mold". Any attempt to kill or treat indoor mold growth is simply a temporary band aid to avoid dealing with the only real solution - removing it.

Why Is It So Important To Remove Mold?
1. As mention in Mold Scam #2, indoor mold growth has two faces; the face you see (that is - visible mold growth on surfaces), and the face you don't see (that is - the microscopic mold spores that float in the air).

The face of mold you see can cause property damage ranging from minor discoloration to complete decay, but it must be alive (viable) to do so. But if mold is rendered dormant, dead, or non-viable it can and will become viable again when the conditions are right.

What conditions?
Mold is a living organism. Like all living things, it needs food and water to stay alive. The food source is construction materials, i.e. wood, drywall, carpet, cabinets, etc.  The water source can be something major like a plumbing leak or flood, or it can be something as insignificant as 50% + humidity. Either way, mold can resurrect in those ideal conditions and pick up right where it left off.

2. The face of mold you don't see can cause people damage. As mold growth dies and dries out it turns into a super fine dust and becomes airborne. When inhaled, those dead airborne mold spores have the exact same affect on people and animals as live mold spores do. Dead or alive (viable or non-viable) mold spores are Allergenic, Pathogenic, and Toxigenic. Dead or alive they can trigger asthma attacks, enflame air passages, cause bronchial infections, and make people sick in many other ways.

How To Avoid Getting Scammed:
There are countless products and services that claim to kill mold, some of which have already been mentioned on this page, and all of which are a waste of time, energy, and money. Forget about killing mold. Forget about band aids or other quick fix schemes. If you have an indoor mold problem, have it properly removed and be done with it. Do it right and you'll do it once. Do it wrong and you'll do it over and over.
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The inspector keeps a shed in his back yard where he stores wet, moldy construction materials such as drywall, wood, carpet, etc. Since mold flourishes in dark, damp environments with poor ventilation, the materials in the shed are periodically sprayed with water to ensure optimal mold growth conditions. Before coming to your property to perform mold testing, the inspector collects a few samples from inside his shed, knowing the samples will show extremely high counts of dangerous molds. After collecting a few samples from your building he swaps your samples with his bad samples and sends them off to a lab for analysis.

The object of this scam is to create the worst mold scenario possible in order to frighten you into a signing a contract for a mold remediation job. The hope is that once you see how bad your test results are, you'll be so scared and confused that you will want to take immediate action. At the height of your vulnerability they just happen to have a contract all ready for you to sign. The result is tens of thousands of dollars in mold remediation that never needed to be done.

How To Avoid Getting Scammed:
Practical common sense. The best way to avoid this scam is to avoid using mold inspectors who are also in the remediation business. Also, avoid any inspector or remediation contractor offering "free" inspections. Don't be naive. No one offers free anything unless they plan to get something in return.
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