Ashton Village Homeowners Association

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE: CON GAMES AND SCAMS

What could be friendlier than helping a parent-in-need buy diapers for his baby?

How could it hurt to pay someone to pave your driveway at a low price?

If the man at your door says he's a plumber working next door and wants to check for water pressure in your home, why shouldn't you let him in?

The answer is the same. They are all con games or scams and, unfortunately, they are more common than you might think. It's not always easy to spot a con artist. They're smart and extremely persuasive. Some will play on your sympathies with stories that will tug at your heart. Others will play on your vulnerabilities - especially older citizens who live alone.

Here is a collection of scams that have taken place  over the last few years.

Home Improvements - Men posing as plumbers convinced a woman to let them into her home. One man, dressed in navy blue pants and jacket, rang her doorbell and told her he was working on a plumbing problem at the house next door and wanted to make sure there was no water pressure problems in her home. She allowed him in and he went into her bathroom and began turning on faucets. At the same time, he began talking to another man on a two-way radio. While the woman stayed with the first man, she heard the second enter the house and go into other rooms. She never saw the second person, but both men left the house minutes later. After they left she discovered the unseen man had rummaged through closets and dressers and taken cash and jewelry.

During the late winter and early summer months a group of transients moved into the Houston area with the sole purpose of fraudulently obtaining money from people. They looked for signs that indicated residents were older (no swing sets or children's toys in the yard) and approached them under the guise of helping with repairs. The most common scheme was roofing or driveway repair. While one person brought the homeowner out into the yard to inspect damages, another person entered the home and took money. Or they told folks they had "extra" materials left from another job. They quoted a very low price if the resident was willing to pay cash up-front. Once they received the money, they promised to return but never did.

Two men rang the doorbell of an elderly gentleman and told him that while cutting down a neighbor's tree, a branch fell and broke his fence. One man was holding a fence picket and a branch as proof. One of the two led the victim into the backyard to show him the damage while giving him $50 for repairs as a means to distract him. The second man entered the house unnoticed from an unlocked front door and took a large amount of cash. The two men left (but not before the first man conned the victim into giving back the $50) and the theft was not discovered until later in the day. 

Others That Have Been Used - A couple with two children approached an older woman while she was gardening in her front lawn. The male was very friendly and claimed he had lived on her block as a youngster and had even known her son. He kept up the conversation about "old times" until the young boy asked to use her bathroom. She let the family into her home even though she was too embarrassed to admit she had no recollection of the man. She brought the boy to her bathroom and returned to the family in another room. When the child didn't reappear she looked for him and found him in her bedroom. When questioned he said he'd lost his way. The family soon left and she later discovered the boy had stolen money and jewelry. A youngster(s) accompanied by an adult asked if residents would like to buy gift-wrapping paper to help raise money for his school. He asked for the money up front and didn't have any samples with him.  Residents were asked for money to help find missing children. They were shown a sheet of paper with the pictures of several youngsters but no other identification on it. A woman approached people on the street and asked for money to help her sick baby. She claimed she needed to pick up a prescription at the drug store, she had no medical coverage "and you know how expensive prescriptions are these days."

Some Important Things to Remember About People Who Are Con Artists - They target older persons because they are perceived to be more trusting and have a higher probability of keeping money in the house.

They look for homes in need of some type of repair or yard work.

They are friendly and non-threatening.

They may wear a uniform and provide false identification. They may use two-way radios to give the appearance of being legitimate.

Precautions to Remember - Keep all doors locked, even when at home.

Before allowing any "company employee" into your home for unscheduled repairs, call the company first for verification. Look the number up in the phonebook. Do not accept phone numbers given by the "worker."

Never accept home repair offers from workers that just happen to be in the neighborhood. Never pay in cash. If they are reliable they will come back after you check them out.

If you're approached while outdoors by anyone soliciting to do repair or yard work, don't engage the person in conversation or allow them to lead you to an area away from the house.

If there is any suspicious activity, call the police immediately.