As warm weather makes way for spring growth around the county, it typically marks an increase in scams and frauds.

For this reason, Trooper Jon Bayer of the Pennsylvania State Police spoke to the Men of Retirement Age club recently at the Butler YMCA.

Since the club meeting was scheduled as a ladies day, wives of the club members sat in to hear Bayer describe common ways in which state residents, many of them seniors, fall victim to scam and fraud operations.

As part of his presentation, Bayer showed a short video produced by the AARP depicting a home improvement scam - a somewhat common way for con artists to extract money from victims.

The scam involved a man who presented himself as a roofing contractor and told an elderly homeowner her roof would soon start leaking. After showing a fake client testimonial letter, the scam artist urged the woman to sign a contract immediately in order to get in on a short-term discount offer.

Such types of immediacy are often signs of a scam, Bayer said. "Don't make a rash decision," he warned. "Don't just write that check and give it to them."

Bayer said contractors will also approach homeowners under the guise of having excess supplies from nearby jobs.

Leftover driveway sealant, for instance, could be diluted and peddled at a discount price to an unsuspecting homeowner several doors down. That person might jump at the chance to spend a fraction of what they know the job is worth, not knowing the sealant will not hold up.

The key, Bayer said, is to avoid doing business with vendors and contractors that approach you. Instead, get several bids by selecting contractors who are established enough to maintain yellow page listings.

Bayer said springtime also tends to launch a wave of "gypsy" scams. In these situations, a friendly con artist might engage a homeowner in conversation as the homeowner does yard work.

Since the public is often less leery of women than men, a woman might initiate the conversation while her accomplices enter the victim's home through a back entrance - helping themselves to valuable objects. In these cases, Bayer suggests keeping doors locked, even if you are in your yard.

Since a number of the retirees at the meeting said they have Internet access, Bayer also touched on online identity fraud and Internet scams, advising computer users to install firewall protection and update virus protection software often.

Bayer also said when banking or buying items online, be sure the locked padlock icon is present on the screen. An unlocked padlock icon indicates the site is not secure.

Other types of fraud include sales frauds, in which extra costs are hidden behind a "too good to be true" offer; investment frauds, in which people are offered a chance to invest in a promising company; and charity fraud, in which funds are solicited for bogus causes.

While Bayer said none of the scams are currently rampant in Butler County, the same scams tend to appear each year. One reason the crimes continue to work is that victims are too embarrassed to report them, he said.

In the case of identity theft, Bayer reminded attendees to avoid giving their social security numbers or other personal information to anyone over the phone, even if that person appears to be employed by the victim's bank or another familiar business. In these cases, Bayer suggests telling the caller you will call them back momentarily.

E-mail inquiries for credit card information updates, even if the sender's address appears legitimate, can also be fraudulent.

Although many of the seniors attending Bayer's talk said they already implemented caution when dealing with vendors, other tips were still helpful.

John McCaslin

of Connoquenessing Township

said he paid attention to the identity fraud portion of Bayer's talk, in which the seniors were advised against leaving checks and other financial information for pickup in the mailbox.

"I hadn't thought of that," he said. "I e-mailed my kids last night and told them about that."

"We do put mail out sometimes the night before," said Jane Ninestead, whose husband is the MORA treasurer.

"I had really never thought of that. … I do have a shredder. And I use that," she added of Bayer's advice to avoid putting credit card solicitations and other mail in the trash.

Seniors attending the talk also agreed the computer tips were helpful.

Donna Gray

Connoquenessing Township

said she appreciated the advice on firewall protection. "I should have a firewall on my computer," she said. "I asked later how you go about getting one of those."

June Griffiths of Center Township commented that Bayer's advice on identifying secure Web sites was helpful. Griffiths also commented on the gypsy scams. "We used to always think if a woman was along, you're safe … not anymore."