When you think of gypsies, the common preconceived notion is Stevie Nicks or fortune tellers, but that is only one thing they do to scam people out of their money and possessions, according to authorities.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office released its warning to DeKalb County residents that the “gypsy” season is set to begin this spring.

These transient merchants travel from state to state and deliver faulty products to unsuspecting victims, DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said.

In addition to home repair fraud, gypsies use telemarketing and mail fraud, both of which have become more common.

While everyone is at risk of getting conned, gypsies typically target elderly people or those who live alone at home.

DeKalb police Lt. Jim Kayes said there are three reasons why elderly people make the best targets for gypsies.

“Half the time they don’t report it because they are ashamed or don’t realize they were ripped off until a few days later,” Kayes said. “Plus, the elderly make poor witnesses because their eye sight and memory aren’t what they used to be.”

In DeKalb County, the Sheriff’s Office investigates about 15 cases a year, while DeKalb police see two or three a summer. However, Scott and Kayes agreed that many cases go unreported.

“People are embarrassed because they come to the realization that they have been conned and don’t want people to know,” Scott added.

Sheriff’s officers have been trained to recognize gypsies and help prevent people from getting scammed.

Gypsies commonly drive older-model trucks with out-of-state license plates and have paint equipment in the bed of the trucks, Scott said.

The DeKalb Police Department conducts classes, including the Senior Citizens Police Academy, to educate elderly citizens and help prevent further scams.

There is another class of scam artists known as “travelers.” Scott said travelers basically perform the same acts as gypsies but are more organized.

In the spring, the travelers leave Murphy’s Village in North Augusta, Ga., and travel around the country posing as home repairmen or government officials.

Kayes added that there are other groups in South Carolina and Tennessee. He also said there are groups in the Chicago suburbs, and even one that used to be DeKalb, but that was several years ago.

Gypsies and travelers are difficult to catch because they are nomadic and have perfected their scamming techniques, Kayes said.

“When they steal, they sometimes put it in the mail,” Kayes said. “If they are stopped later, they can say they don’t have anything.”

In the rare chance that a gypsy or traveler is arrested, they will do anything to stay out of jail, including offering to pay back what they stole.

“If you steal from 10 people, and pay one back, then you really haven’t lost much,” Kayes said.