Caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware! As the weather gets warmer, area residents should be on the lookout for home-repair schemes.

A 91-year-old Ames man was recently bilked out of $3,100 by three individuals who promised to repair the man’s roof, according to Ames police.

The con artists barged into the man’s house without knocking. After telling the elderly individual he needed major repairs to his roof, they convinced him to write a blank check. The thieves did nothing more than spray black spray paint on the roof and write a check for $3,100.

Ames Police Sgt. Craig Reid said people who pull these confidence schemes rarely stay in the area where the crimes take place for very long.

“Whenever we get a case of a confidence scheme, we always talk to other police agencies,” Reid said. “The people who commit these crimes are usually long gone by the time the crime is reported.”

Reid said that the individual who lost $3,100 did not contact authorities until his bank intervened.

“A lot of the elderly who fall victim to these schemes do not contact the authorities,” Reid said. “They do not want the publicity because their relatives might find out and think they can not take care of themselves.”

Steve St. Clair, an Iowa assistant attorney in the consumer protection division, said embarrassment is another motivation for the elderly not to report confidence schemes.

“A lot of these people who fall victim to these schemes feel it is their fault,” St. Clair said. “They are also sometimes afraid of reprisal.”

St. Clair said it is beneficial for people who fall victim to scams to report them as soon as possible.

“We always encourage people who fall victim to any crime to report them as soon as possible,” he said. “That way we can possibly get some publicity out about what is going on, and others might be spared these crimes.”

Material submitted by the Better Business Bureau said that a common approach among door-to-door sales people is to say “Hi, I just happened to be in the neighborhood. . .” etc.

A variety of services or products may be pitched to a homeowner for a supposed low price or a great deal.

“Many people pose as door-to-door home repair maintenance workers who offer to do an odd job like roofing or blacktop a driveway,” Reid said.

He also said they want to be paid up front and that there have been cases where a person offering a roofing job will just go to the roof, pound for a few hours and leave.

“If it sounds too good to believe, it usually is,” Reid said. “It’s best to use your local contractors — ones with a permanent address.”

St. Clair gives these six tips to follow if someone comes to your door promising home repairs:

*Do not write blank checks under any circumstances.

*Get a bid and a phone number at which the individuals can be reached.

*Always get a second opinion.

*If someone comes to your door with a problem you did not know existed, be suspicious.

*Consult with a trusted adviser.

*Comparison shop at local businesses.