THE VILLAGES - Don't do your business over the phone.

That was one of the points Lady Lake Police Chief Ed Nathanson made at the May 21 meeting of The Villages Property Owners Association, where he spoke about scams, and personal and home safety.

Nathanson encouraged residents to be aware every time someone they do not recognize calls.

"Make sure you know who you are talking to and what you are talking about," he said. "Don't give out information you don't need to give out."

Ed, as he requests residents call him, spoke about one of the latest scams going around, which is by prisoners who collect call numbers at random. Once the call is accepted, the prisoners use the number to charge future calls.

Nathanson said that most people react by accepting the call because they fear the prisoner is a friend or family member in trouble. That's not the case, the chief said.

"If you are already in prison, you are already processed," he told the crowd. "That means you probably would know about it by then."

When it comes to charity, give your money directly. Nathanson said that in most cases, when solicitors ask for charitable donations - if they are even legitimate - most of any donation goes to the administration of the charitable entity.

Nathanson also told residents that if someone calls on behalf of a law enforcement entity and asks for donations, he or she is not calling from Lady Lake, or Sumter, Lake or Marion counties.

"Law enforcement in this area doesn't solicit," he informed the crowd.

In terms of home improvement and lawn services, Nathanson said make certain the service provider you have chosen is reputable and can be trusted. For example, he said, ask your neighbors who they have used in the past and what their opinion is of the person or company who did the work.

"It's more important to deal with someone reputable than to save a little bit of money," he pointed out.

He used a recent incident in Lady Lake as an example. A local "service provider" saw between the house and lanai roofs of a local resident a small hole, which was causing some leaking. The man told the homeowner that the job was worth $2,500, but that he would do the job for $2,000 - $1,000 up front.

"And she gave it," Nathanson said, adding that the job was obviously worth much less.

Nathanson was contacted, and the next day the chief was waiting for the roofer. The woman got her money back, and she also learned a couple of lessons: Don't pay cash, and make sure to research the service provider in the future.

Home safety also was discussed at the meeting, with Nathanson advising residents of several inexpensive ways to improve the safety of their homes. He said the best way to secure sliding glass doors is a cheap one - simple "charlie bars," made of wood or metal, inside the track at the bottom of the doors.

A good way to secure windows while also keeping them open is to install nails to stick out on either side of the track above the moving part of the window, about 6 inches - a small enough space so as not to allow anyone to crawl through. That way, the window won't move up beyond the nails, and the nails are relatively easy to remove in the event of a home emergency.

On the same note, Nathanson warned against using deadbolts on doors in which a key is required on the inside, as it would pose a fire hazard. One last point Nathanson made was that when you leave on a trip, don't tell anyone you are leaving - have a trusted neighbor pick up the newspaper, and put the house on extra or neighborhood watch.

If fewer people know of your absence, he said, there is less of a chance of someone burglarizing your home.