(BAY AREA) -- Some scams never die and they still cause a lot of aggravation for Bay Area residents. One is known as the curb painting scam. If someone comes to your door offering to paint your curb beware.

"I received an invoice stating my husband had given permission to paint our curb when he was actually out of state," writes Joyce of Palo Alto. Now the company is trying to bill her for $23 plus $3 for each additional attempt to collect.

First of all, you don't have to pay it. Secondly: "They can be prosecuted under graffiti and vandalism laws," says Diana Hammons with San Francisco's Department of Parking and Traffic. Curb painting is allowed only by city maintanence crews. And the companies that provide the services are most likely trying to scam you.

Now for another consumer aggravation: Have you noticed more junk faxes coming in to your home since the FTC set up a national "do not call" list? Kelli of Pleasanton has.

"We are getting bombarded with unsolicited faxes," she writes in an email to Contact 4. "I have called the number at the bottom to be removed, but I just seem to get more faxes instead of less."

Here's the deal: The toll-free opt-out number at the bottom of the fax only stops that advertiser. Hundreds are still left. The trick is to find out which of two major telemarketing companies are behind it.. Then threaten to sue because junk faxes are illegal. The non-profit website junkfax.org can help you I.D. The harrassing culprit.  

(Copyright 2004, KRON 4. All rights reserved.)