Scammers prey on seniors for several reasons. Scammers know that seniors are not as likely to report being scammed, as they feel ashamed of the mistake they made. Seniors like to help people, so some scammers make up stories about being laid off or unable to find a job.

There are several types of fraud scams.

A common scam is a person who goes door to door with an offer to do driveway paving or chimney repair. The scammer knocks on a door, saying the driveway needs sealing. The scammer then says he will do the job and names the price. The scammer then says he needs most of the money up front, as he needs to go buy more sealer. Once the payment is made, the scammer may do a small amount of work but then leaves and never returns.

Many of these door-to-door scammers will go to cities or towns far away from where they live.

It’s important for consumers to know that door-to-door home repair transient sellers must be registered with the state’s Office of Licensing and Registration. A door-to-door seller must include his or her state registration number in the written contract, so consumers should check to make sure that information is included because many of the door-to-door sellers simply don’t adhere to the law. The person hands out a card and says he or she has the required paperwork.

If you want to check to see whether a seller is licensed before agreeing to the work, you can search for a licensee online at www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/license_search.htm, or call the Office of Licensing and Registration at 624-8603. For the hearing impaired, the number is (888) 577-6690.

Door-to-door sellers are also required to have a local permit, issued at a local city hall or town office, so you can call your local office to verify a permit.

Scammers use pressure to get a senior to agree to the work and immediate payment. It is important to remember that a door-to-door transient seller cannot collect more than one-third of the cost of the job before completing the work, so if they ask you for more than that, tell them you know the law does not allow more than the one-third payment upfront. If they’re legitimate sellers, they’ll understand.

There are also mail, telephone and Internet scams in which a person receives a letter in the mail or a telephone call saying he or she has won thousands of dollars in a lottery or sweepstakes.

In these cases, the scammers send the person a check to cover the taxes or some other bogus fee. The targeted individual is instructed to deposit the check in his or her bank account and wire the fee out of the country. A few days later, the bank contacts the person saying the check was counterfeit and that he or she is responsible for repayment to the bank.

With the popularity of the Internet, phishing scams have become a problem. Phishing means stealing personal information by deception. A person receives an email disguising itself as a bank that needs to update personal information. People should know that no bank will ever send an email to update an account. No matter how legitimate the messages look, never enter personal information on incoming email.

To protect against fraud, when receiving incoming email, mail and telephone calls, a person should never give out personal information, as these thieves will clean out a bank account and steal a person’s identity. It can be uncomfortable to stand firm and deny giving out personal information, but remember that you’re protecting yourself from fraud.

If you’re worried that your personal financial information has been compromised, you can check your credit reports to make sure ID theft has not occurred.

The best way to protect yourself from fraud is to be aware of these and other scams. If you think you’ve been scammed, call your local police department and report it.

Lewiston Police Department Detective Lee Jones has been with the department for 25 years, and for the past six years has been a detective in the white collar crimes division. He is a member of the Androscoggin County Elder Abuse Task Force.

To learn more about these issues, join the Androscoggin County Elder Abuse Task Force at the Senior Resource Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, at Seniors Plus, 8 Falcon Road, Lewiston.

In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, speakers will present information on different ways for seniors to stay safe. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 795-6744.