As the weather grows warmer and you have a chance to venture out to see how the winter impacted your home and property, scammers may try to take advantage of it.

First, be very skeptical if you receive an unannounced knock on your door asking if you need your roof repaired, your driveway patched, or trees cut down. These scammers will often ask for a big down payment up front or even demand cash for work.

Let this be a big red flag as scammers will often take the money, perhaps do a small amount of the work, and leave, never to heard from again – only now with your money in-hand, of course.

These door to door scams are some of the most common, but there are some ways you can protect yourself. First, don’t fall for high-pressure tactics. Even if they try to force you into a now or never decision, a legitimate business will have no problem giving you time to think on your decision.

Second, ask for a contract. Again, legitimate contractors will gladly provide you with a detailed breakdown of costs.

Finally, take the time to check with the Better Business Bureau. They can verify that a business is legitimate and even provide you with information on previous complaints against the company.

If you think you have been a victim of a scam, report it to law enforcement right away. The information that you provide might be enough to find these criminals, as there are normally multiple victims.