Securing Our Future Together
Not all crime involves violence or threats of violence to the victim. Fact is, most fraud based schemes involve nothing more than smooth talk, a trusting appearance, and some naiveté on the part of the victim. Always remember that there are plenty of folks out there looking for ways to part you from your money. Not all crooks look like Hollywood’s version of criminals and street thugs – some of the best hucksters can be quite convincing and probably should have chosen an acting career. But in the end all these scams have one thing in common – a stranger will always want your money or property on some pretext, and this is the red flag that should make you immediately suspicious. This type of crime has been around for thousands of years, and we can’t possibly cover all of the scams out there, but here are a few of the ones we see most frequently:
THE GOOD SAMARITAN: One of the oldest and simplest scams with the most variations, this hustle attempts to take advantage of the many good folks who try to help the needy. It begins when some poor down and out looking individual rings your doorbell. The suspect could be male or female, but there’s a good chance they’ll have young children along. They’ll be asking for money or food. Maybe you’ve got a $5 bill in your pocket and you just give it to them. They’ve got the five dollars, and that may be the end of it. Just remember to never leave these individuals waiting next to your unlocked door while you go looking for food or money. That’s the scam – while you’re upstairs looking for small change or getting some milk from the refrigerator, your grandma’s silver platter is walking out the unattended front door. As security experts we discourage anyone from giving money to beggars because it encourages them to come to your neighborhood. Now you know one more reason why this is such a bad practice. If you want to help without getting scammed, direct the needy to the nearest shelter (which address you should have memorized). If you see these folks working the neighborhood, call the security patrol or the police.
THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY: A particularly effective variation of the “Good Samaritan”, this scam begins when a frantic stranger knocks on your door to announce that someone outside has just collapsed, fallen, been run over, or whatever. You run to the phone to call “911”, leaving the door open. You’ll soon have an emergency all right, but it won’t be medical. As before, just remember to lock your door when you go to the phone.
THE HOME REPAIR: The suspect, usually in a marked truck or van, claims he is “passing through the neighborhood” and approaches a homeowner to advise that some sort of work is required on the home. This could be anything from masonry, roofing, waterproofing, house leveling, landscaping, etc. The suspect provides a free estimate of the needed repairs, and requests a partial payment. He then leaves to get materials, workmen, etc., and of course is never heard from again. This scam is easily defeated – just make up your mind right now never to do business with someone you don’t know or who hasn’t been referred to you by someone you trust. Don’t be misled by the logo on the truck or the professional looking business card, as these are easy to obtain. (Magnetic logos can be placed on a vehicle in seconds, and printers don’t do background checks on people who order business cards.) Always check references, phone book listings, the Better Business Bureau, and any other reliable source before you do business with a stranger.
THE SECURITY CONSULTANT: A relatively recent variation of the “Home Repair”, the suspect in this scam could either telephone or drop by in person, announcing that he is a security expert performing free security assessments for his company. The naive homeowner takes the suspect through the house pointing out valuables and vulnerabilities, while the suspect writes down technical gibberish on a quote sheet. Whether the suspect is actually stealing during the “survey” or plans to come back later using his fraudulently obtained information for a really devastating hit, this scam can be avoided by following the same precautions used to avoid the “Home Repair”.
THE DROP THE PIGEON: This infamous old scam involves a first suspect (the “catch”) approaching a victim to ask if she has just dropped something on the ground (usually a bag, purse, wallet, etc.). When the victim advises it doesn’t belong to her, the victim and the suspect look inside the article (which the suspect continues to hold) to find some sort of identification. Invariably, a large sum of money (foreign or American) is briefly glimpsed by the victim. Often a second suspect (the “hit”) happens to be passing by just at that time. The hit is asked if the article belongs to him. Of course it doesn’t, at which point the hit volunteers to take the money to a nearby financial institution for advice. He returns to advise that the bank manager says the money will be theirs if no one claims it. However, because of what has happened the bank will only accept the money as a deposit if the three individuals put up their own sum of money to guarantee their good faith. At some point the victim is asked for her share of this sum to give to the bank. The three agree to meet later to discuss their good fortune and split the find, and one of the suspects disappears into the bank to deposit the good faith money. The original item, if found at all, contains some real money on top and cut up newspaper on the bottom. The suspects are never seen again, and the victim is out her “good faith” deposit. Although some of the best con artists use this scheme, it’s easy to avoid – if you know how it works in advance, you’ll never fall for it.
THE BANK EXAMINER: One or more suspects, always nicely dressed in suits and carrying police style badges, advise the victim that they are bank examiners investigating a bank employee suspected of stealing from the bank in some way. The suspects ask the victim to withdraw money using that particular bank employee’s window, in order to assist in their investigation. At some point the suspects request the money, “just for a few minutes”; needless to say, the money is never returned. While it’s certainly possible that legitimate police could ask you for assistance, they would never ask for your money – remember that’s the red flag to look for in this scam.
THE LATIN LOTTO: The suspect approaches the victim, usually at a shopping center. The suspect, who can barely speak English or has someone interpret for her, claims to have a winning lottery ticket which she cannot cash because she is an illegal alien. Usually, a second suspect overhears the conversation and suggests an easy solution to the problem – he’ll be happy to buy the lottery ticket himself, but because the victim was approached first, he’ll split the proceeds with the victim if the victim pays her half of the agreed upon price for the lottery ticket. The victim and the second suspect then buy the ticket from the first suspect, who then leaves with the money. We’ve never seen a winning lottery ticket turn up yet! Once again, knowing in advance about this hustle makes it easy to avoid.
THE PARKING LOT DIVERSION: The suspect approaches a victim, usually in the parking lot of a shopping center. The suspect, usually female, distracts the victim, also usually female, by asking directions or requesting help for a parking lot fender bender. While the victim is distracted during the conversation, a second suspect takes the victim’s wallet out of her purse, or swipes her entire purse out of the shopping basket. Basic security precautions should defeat this scam – if your purse is properly secured on your shoulder or is in your immediate line of sight at all times, you won’t be approached in the first place.
THE LIFETIME SWEETHEART: Usually directed at the elderly or disabled, the victim is attended by an apparently loving and devoted caregiver who makes it a point to take excellent care of the victim. The care in fact is indeed excellent, but then the caregiver has an ulterior motive: after some period of time passes and the victim drops his guard, the caregiver announces she can’t continue the service without receiving a sum of money over and above her hourly pay. As soon as the victim complies with the request, the caregiver vanishes (unless she’s planning to hit this victim again). Families with elderly relatives should be on their guard for this type of con artist, especially if the victim has a diminished mental capacity. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security just because the caregiver is good at what she does – professional sitters, attendants, and even R.N.’s have been known to practice this hustle. Check references and credentials in every case before letting anyone near your elderly loved ones.