A state-elected official was in Jefferson Monday for a program on how to avoid scams and fraud.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Investigator Al Porales co-led the program to about 30 people at Home State Bank. Bird started the program by saying that Iowans get more scams compared to a lot of other states, due to a lot of homes with older individuals still having landlines and being polite on the phone.

While several scams were covered, Bird highlighted one type of scam is contractors promising work they can do following storm damage.

“That is something that we’re seeing an uptick in this time of the year. Do business locally with people you know and trust, get your contracts in writing, (and) don’t pay upfront. But we really see people ripped off on that one, so help your friends and neighbors on that.”

Porales advised everyone to always double check everything because scammers want to come into your world and make something so real that the individuals don’t see the red flags. He talked about the common methods for scammers is using “TIP” which means a “Threat” needs to be created, then “Immediacy” is established to garner the person to make a “Payment” either through cash, bitcoin or gift cards. 

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office also offers some free services for identity theft victims including placing freezes on their credit reports, a temporary one-year fraud victim alert, among others. It was also stressed during the program that if something feels like a scam to report it to local law enforcement.