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Beware of spring home-repair scams When the weather starts to warm up, so do the home repair scam artists, caution Medford police. "This is the time when these guys start to come out of the woodwork. Winter's over and people can get out and work on their homes," said Howard Pendleton, a Medford community service officer who oversees the city's neighborhood watch program. Pendleton advises home owners to be on the lookout for the driveway and roof repair scams, signaled by uninvited contractors appearing at doorsteps and offering their services. The contractor sells himself by telling home owners that he has materials left from a job he's doing down the street, offering to make a bid on the work or fix the problem right then if the home owner hands over some cash, Pendleton said. These scams generally result in either shoddy work or unfinished repairs, he added. Elderly people are most often targeted in such scams because they typically don't ask many questions before the contractors start their work, Pendleton said. "My concern is mostly for the senior citizens who don't know how to protect themselves from scams and who don't want to call the authorities because they don't want to be a bother," he added. Instead, he advises that home owners approached by contractors ask to see business and contracting licenses. A call to local police or the attorney general's office will reveal whether complaints have been filed against the contractor or his company. If home owners ask more questions, the scam artists "disappear like smoke," Pendleton said. "They're gone. If you give them much trouble, they usually take off." But some swindlers are particularly persuasive. Should a home owner find himself the victim of a scam, Pendleton said, he should immediately call police. In Medford, an officer will assess the situation and forward the case to a detective, if necessary. For more information on how to spot a scam, call the Medford Community Policing office at 774-2268. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA