A woman from our neighborhood tracked me down regarding a similar incident a few days ago. A guy, portraying himself as one of her neighbors, offered to mow the yard. She paid him for the small task. Then he offered to do a larger job but asked for the money up front. She gave it to him, but he never returned to finish the job. She was embarrassed about getting scammed, but she reported it because she didn’t want it to happen to anyone else. She did a good job by getting his description, name and license plate numbers. Based on the information she provided, our detectives have been able to locate a suspect and are [at the time of publication] investigating the case. This type of scam is particularly prevalent after a storm blows through — yards may contain debris, shingles may be ripped off roofs and people may really need the services of a repairman. If someone offers their services, check them out. They should have legitimate references, a business card. You can check them out online, or with the Better Business Bureau. If you do feel you have been the victim of a scam, call and report it. You are not the only one.

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