Scamming is an unfortunate reality that strikes many people when they think their luck is finally turning around. Scammers often target the elderly, young people living on their own for the first time, and people desperate for a good deal. It was no different in the case of a Woodridge, IL man.

David L. Briggs, 29, is facing two counts of felony theft by deception after charging an elderly man $117,000 for remodels that he never finished. One count is for the charges exceeding $100,000, and the other is for the victim being over the age of 60. Police were notified by the victim’s family after they were notified by the 79-year-old’s bank about the numerous payments going to Briggs.

The family’s statement says that the victim was told that Briggs owned a remodeling company. Briggs offered to complete numerous projects at the man’s Villa Park home, but then never completed them.

After interviewing Briggs and completing criminal subpoenas for his bank account, authorities found that the total cash amount came to about $117,000. Briggs had spent all of it without completing any of the remodels promised. He is now being held on $500,000 bail at the DuPage County Jail, and police encourage anyone else who may have similar dealings to contact them.

It is unfortunate incidents like this which overshadow a booming home remodel industry. The annual Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling shows most remodel projects on the rise, many making large jumps from last year. In fact, a simple bathroom remodel has a return on investment of 63.6%, placing it at number 10 on the list of top home remodels.

But scammers such as Briggs plant a seed of doubt in homeowners’ minds. The last thing anyone needs is to have tens of thousands of dollars worth of hard-earned money taken from them. The answer is simple, however: do your research. If something seems too good to be true, it likely is. Follow your instincts and ask around before hiring anyone. Homeowners can also check with the Better Business Bureau, and read reviews on websites such as Angie’s List.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has detailed the fallout he attributes to Chicago Public Schools making good on a $634 million pension payment: 1,050 workers will lose their jobs, 350 vacant positions will be eliminated, and several education programs will be discontinued as a result of $200 million in budget cuts.

The plan also includes $175 million property tax increase to help pay for teacher pensions — but that can only happen if the state and Chicago’s teachers invest in what the mayor described as a “grand bargain” to end the district’s perennial money woes. Much of this plan requires approval from state legislators, who remain stuck with their own budget problems.

“In my view, these cuts are intolerable, they’re unacceptable and they’re totally unconscionable,” Emanuel said. “They’re a result of a political system that’s sprung a leak and now it’s a geyser. There’s a series of political compromises and patchwork over the years that can no longer continue.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, CPS interim Chief Executive Jesse Ruiz has stated that the budget cuts will not affect the length of the school day, although classes will start and end 45 minutes later to “reduce transportation costs.”

Cutting out 1,400 faculty jobs will also mean that extracurricular programs, such as athletics, will be downsized. This means that from the time children are placed in public education programs — possibly as early as four years old, for the average preschool program — they won’t have as many opportunities to cultivate creativity and teamwork-focused mindsets. Most preschools serve three-, four-, and five-year-olds — a time when creativity and expression are of utmost importance.

District officials say that this time, they tapped into borrowed money, which included $200 million of tax anticipation notes to make the pension payment. A bill was recently passed which aims to ease pension pressures at CPS, while giving Governor Bruce Rauner the tax freeze he has been pushing for. Any solid plans on fixing the problem in the long term have yet to be released.