• Be dubious of drop-ins. Most legitimate contractors don’t have to solicit business by visiting homeowners; they get enough work from recommendations and advertising. Be especially suspicious of those who try to solicit personal information, such as your age, marital status and whether you live alone.

• Be wary of visitors whose trucks have no company name. Out-of-state license plates are one indication of fly-by-night contractors, although woodchucks often operate in the area where they live.

• Ask for a solicitor’s license. “In many counties across the country, door-to-door solicitors are required to have a license,” which often involves a criminal background check and fingerprinting, says Cole. You can usually verify a solicitor’s license by calling your local municipality. Also ask the contractor for proof of insurance coverage, which can be verified with the issuer.

• Get a guardian angel. Woodchucks’ victims usually live alone and don’t have anyone watching their back. Ask neighbors to be on the lookout for unknown visitors, and have them visit you when a stranger comes calling.

• Be suspicious of any contractor who asks for a personal check in his name rather than his company’s, or asks for a cash payment.

• If you believe you were scammed by a woodchuck or other con-man contractor, immediately report it to your local police department.

Sid Kirchheimer is the author of Scam-Proof Your Life .

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