Five people have been arrested and charged in Polk County in connection with what detectives describe as a scheme involving fraudulent construction work targeting the elderly.

The five are all members of the underground community known as “travelers” or gypsies, according to a news release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

“These scam artists prey on unsuspecting victims,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in the news release. “They target the elderly because they are more trusting; thus making them easier targets for quick scams. And by the time the crime has been committed, the suspect is long gone, the victim has been swindled out of their money and must hire legitimate businesses to ‘fix’ work which wasn’t needed in the first place, or was done at substandard levels.”

Those arrested are: Bartholomew Rafferty, 33, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Patrick Rafferty, 29, of Hagerstown, Md.; Alexander Parker, 25, of Bear, Del.; Charles Evans, 30, of Fairwinds, Del.; and a 17-year-old.

They face an array of charges, including exploitation of the elderly, burglary, grand theft, and worker’s compensation fraud. All are being held on $20,000.00 bond per count.

Detectives caught the first four men after a sting operation this week. A senior citizen working with the sheriff’s office called several Traveler-affiliated construction companies and said she had concerns about her roof.

Men who claimed to be roofers showed up and inspected the woman’s roof, saying it needed hundreds of dollars’ worth of repairs, even though a previous inspection by a legitimate roofer showed nothing wrong, according to the news release.

When she asked for proof of insurance, they showed fraudulent papers, according to the news release.

The 17-year-old was arrested after a tip from a Lake Alfred resident. The resident called law enforcement after a person who had already charged him $600 for work done on his roof asked for more money to buy materials.

Officers from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the Department of Financial Services and the Florida Highway Patrol, along with the state attorney’s office, were also involved in the investigation.

The sheriff’s office warns residents that members of the “traveler” community, although they live a nomadic lifestyle, have close ties to one another. They caution residents against doing business with contractors who offer home repairs unsolicited, or who advertise with roadside signs.

Consumers can verify that an individual or business is licensed by going to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s website at www.myfloridalicense.com.