Deputies: Beware of 'Gypsy and Traveler' Scams

College students eager to soak up the sun aren’t the only ones with Florida on their minds as springtime takes root.

Gypsies and travelers also set a course for the Sunshine State, law enforcement officials say.

“Every spring, the Tampa Bay area has had an increase in ‘gypsy and traveler’ activity,” Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Larry McKinnon said. These travelers aren’t the kind most folks would want to invite into their homes, however.

McKinnon said law enforcement agencies use the word “gypsy” to reference small groups of people who travel the country to commit such crimes as burglary, theft and fraud.

“Gypsy scams are incidents that occur in daylight hours, in which a suspect will literally walk right into someone’s home for the purpose of stealing jewelry or money,” he wrote in an email. “Very often, the homeowner is either in or near the home.”

See Also:

• What You Need to Know About Travelers and Gypsies
• Sheriff’s Office Warns of ‘Gypsy’ Scams

If a homeowner happens to catch a “gypsy” in the act, he or she will offer up excuses to explain why they’re in a home, McKinnon noted.

“The best way to keep these individuals from victimizing you is to simply keep your doors locked and your garage door closed,” he said.

Springtime is also prime time for “travelers or Irish travelers,” McKinnon said. These groups of people “invade our communities, preying on unsuspecting homeowners, oftentimes the elderly, going door to door offering to pave or seal driveways at a very cheap price.”

Their typical scam involves telling homeowners they have materials left over from previous jobs, McKinnon said. Then they’ll ask for payment up front in cash, or sometimes check. When all is said and done, they generally leave shoddy work behind completed with substandard materials, he added.

“Then the victim can’t locate the worker for a refund or to repair the job,” he said. “When victims try to stop payment on the check, it’s already been cashed and the name on the check is usually fictitious or belongs to an involved third party.”

Homeowners who want to protect themselves against “traveler” scams are advised to be suspicious about workers who knock on doors out of the blue. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is, McKinnon said.

At the very least, homeowners should check with the Better Business Bureau about a company before engaging work and payment should never be handed over in advance.

Anyone who has information about home repair or construction fraud should report it to their local law enforcement agency. To reach the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s construction fraud unit, call 813-247-8622.

Image via Shutterstock

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