AKRON, Ohio -- Last week's hailstorm left a lot of people in the Akron area reeling from all the damage, but the cleanup could leave homeowners even more devastated.

Another storm is brewing, and this time it's out-of-state contractors trying to take advantage of homeowners left vulnerable and desperate by Mother Nature.

The contractors are called storm chasers and they're after consumers' money, reported NewsChannel5 consumer specialist Angie Lau.

Last week, golf ball-sized hail slammed into cars and homes, even punching through one man's roof.

When the skies cleared, tens of thousands of people were left with major damage.

More than 50,000 claims have been made so far, and that's what the so-called storm chasers are counting on.

"Business has been slow. Us smaller businesses out here trying to pound the pavement, make a dollar and then look here, here comes a big storm, knocks in, brings a bunch of work, and here comes the storm chasers," said Brett Strain, of Strain Roofing.

Strain said Summit County is crawling with out-of-state contractors hoping to cash in.

The problem is that some of them are not reliable. The Akron Better Business Bureau said consumers need to know their rights.

"Scaring consumers into believing that if they cancel a contract after they've signed it, then in fact there will be a 15-percent penalty. There is no such thing in Ohio because in Ohio we have a three day right of Decision," said the BBB's Victor Wlaszyn.

Some of the storm chasers claim to be locally based when they in fact are not.

"In six months time there will be no opportunity to get a hold of anybody because the local company that's a member of the Bureau will say, 'We don't know anything about it because this other company did it.' Well, the responsibility is going to fall on their shoulders," said Wlaszyn.

Consumers should always check out a contracting company with the BBB. Also check the contract to make sure you're protected and never pay cash up front.