POLK COUNTY, FL – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested five people in an undercover operation aimed at catching traveling scam artists.

All of the suspects arrested are members of a nomadic community frequently referred to as Travelers, authorities said.

A senior citizen, working with detectives, posed as a woman concerned about her roof. Several businesses, described by investigators as Traveler businesses, were contacted for estimates on Wednesday.

Prior to the investigation, a credible roofing contractor found that the woman’s roof did not need repairs.

The sheriff’s office provided the media with the following account of what happened next:

Two men from Rafferty Roofing told the woman her roof needed repair. Bartholomew and Patrick Rafferty offered to fix it for $975. They also provided a fraudulent insurance document. They were arrested on several charges, including exploitation of the elderly, burglary and grand theft.

Later, two men, Alexander Parker and Charles Evans, offered to fix the woman’s roof for $600. Parker told the woman there were numerous nails “popping up” and the areas around the vents were dry-rotted. He also told her there was a large area of damage to the roof. both men were arrested.

Detectives also obtained a warrant for a 17-year-old after he solicited an elderly man in Lake Alfred about doing unneeded roof work at his residence. The teen dumped tar on the roof and poured rocks on top of it. He charged the victim $600 for this work.

The teen then told the victim he needed more money so he could buy more materials. He was located at the KAO campground on Frontage Road and was arrested Thursday.

“Scam artists like these will stop at nothing to get your hard-earned cash,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “They use intimidation, fear and confusing conversation to coerce victims out of their money.

“Don’t be fooled by their sales pitch or their professional appearances,” added Judd. “This investigation should send a clear message – we will not tolerate these so-called ‘travelers’ to gyp our citizens, and if they try, they will travel to jail.”

The sheriff’s office offered the following tips for dealing with people who go door-to-door offering home improvement services:

Request a written estimate on all home improvement offers and compare the prices. con artists are notorious for charging a higher price for inferior materials and unnecessary repairs. without a written estimate, victims get trapped into paying extremely high total costs.

Do not be rushed into a “special bargain” – often described as a “one-time” offer. an example is that a Traveler will claim he has excess asphalt, tar, etc. from another job and he will sell it “cheap.” Remember, if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is.

Do not do any business with any “contractor” with an out-of-state vehicle license. any legitimate Polk County business soliciting work will have a Business Tax Receipt from the Polk County Tax Collector, a soliciting permit from the Clerk of the Courts, and a Florida Contractor’s License. If they do not have all of these, do not do business with them.

Be careful responding to any roadside sign offering work. This tactic is often used by Travelers. Out-of-state telephone numbers are also used in many of these scams.

Call trusted family or friends to help you verify soliciting “contractors.”

Do not pay for anything until all services are completed to your satisfaction.

Do not give out credit card numbers over the phone.

Your best option is not to do business with any traveling soliciting contractor. Contact local, trusted construction companies and ask for references for honest local contractors.

Report all suspicious offers or solicitations to the sheriff’s office by calling (863) 298-6200.

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Detectives: Five ‘Travelers’ arrested in undercover roofing scam investigation