Scam Watch : Awareness is called the best protection from burglary, and medical, home repair and bunco schemes.

Most of us are more likely to be victims of nonviolent than violent crimes, according to state and local law enforcement authorities. But for seniors, fraud and burglary pose bigger problems than they do for the rest of us, said Deputy Darrell Erickson, court liaison officer for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

“In cases of fraud,” said Colleen Toy White, assistant district attorney of Ventura County, “the elderly are slower to recover because they are on a fixed income. Awareness is the best protection.”

The three most prevalent kinds of fraud directed at older people are: medical, home repair and bunco scams. According to White, “People who perpetrate crimes of fraud against the elderly are very sophisticated and organized. They even run schools and exchange hit lists with the names of vulnerable seniors.

“Medical fraud usually involves quack cures,” she said. “What makes the crime worse is that victims often will not receive appropriate medical treatment because they are sidelined by the quack cure.”

Seniors are also frequently targets of home repair and home improvement scams. White recalled one gang that charged several hundred dollars to seal a roof, but only used diluted motor oil.

“Studies show that over 70% of the elderly own their homes,” White said. “Most were bought before 1940, and an elderly woman is often the head of the household.” She said these women, usually widows, are easily intimidated because their husbands handled such matters.

Before entering into any transaction, consumers should do the following: Always obtain a written estimate and only patronize local businesses with a long history in the area. Check with the district attorney’s office or the Better Business Bureau for previous complaints about the service supplier. And only use repair companies that are bonded and have a contractor’s license.

Bunco scams often involve insurance, especially “medigap” policies intended to cover expenses not paid under Medicare.

“Unscrupulous salespeople play on the fear that if older people ever become seriously ill or disabled, they will be a burden on their children,” White said. She cited a recent congressional study that revealed senior citizens spend $13 billion a year on such insurance policies. One-fourth of them, she said, are “wasted, redundant or unnecessary.”

One salesman, White said, “had sold an older woman nine different policies, and she was paying $6,000 a year in premiums.”

AVOID BEING A VICTIM

The following list of resources can help you avoid becoming a victim. To report suspicious transactions or to inquire about a business, call the district attorney’s office of Ventura County’s Crime Prevention Division at 654-2500.

* The American Assn. of Retired Persons offers free pamphlets in English or Spanish that contain tips on how to protect yourself, family and possessions against crime. Use the code number when requesting the How-To series: Conduct a Security Survey (D396), Protect You and Your Car (D393), Protect Your Home (D395), Protect Your Neighborhood (D397), Spot a Con Artist (D394), Protect Your Rural Homestead (D12244), Report Suspicious Activities (D12779). Write: AARP Fulfillment Section, 1909 K St. N.W., Washington D.C. 20049.

* The Crime Prevention Center, Office of the Attorney General, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento 94244-2550, (916) 445-9555, offers several free pamphlets containing crime prevention tips for the disabled, for seniors, for security in various situations and how to establish your own Neighborhood Watch program. A free semiannual publication titled “Senior’s Action Alert: Senior’s Crime Prevention News Magazine,” is also available from the center by addressing your request to the “SAA Editor.”

* To establish a Neighborhood Watch program in your area, call the local crime prevention unit of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department: Ojai 646-1414; Oxnard, Ventura 654-2890; Camarillo 482-9844; Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Simi Valley, Moorpark 494-8200; Fillmore 524-2233.

* “Power Lines for Seniors” is a series of free tip sheets on a variety of safety and security topics available from Southern California Edison Co., (800) 952-5062.

* The Ventura County district attorney’s victim/witness unit helps preserve your rights and possibly obtain reparations; 654-3622.