The Roanoke Valley TRIAD / S.A.L.T. Council

(Seniors and Law Enforcement Together)

TRIAD is a partnership consisting of the local Sheriff and/or Police Chief, seniors, and senior service providers in the community who agree to work together to reduce criminal victimization of the elderly. Each month programs are provided to develop, expand, and implement effective crime prevention and education programs for seniors.

We need the help of all seniors and individuals working with seniors to assist in developing our programs and activities.

Future Meetings:

Attorney General’s Consumer Alert:  Shopping for Scam Artists

By Bill Mims 

He had a sense of urgency and secrecy in his heavy French accent.

“You have to do this assignment immediately. This is time sensitive,” David Campbell said, over his cell phone in Montreal, Quebec. “They must not know the purpose of your assignment or the purpose will be defeated.”

Campbell (probably not his real name) runs a scam operation. He mails unsolicited letters to people, pretending to hire them to evaluate stores. It’s a twist of the “secret shopper” scam with the “money gram scam,” and it’s the latest prevalent scam hitting Virginia.

While the letter that he sends out claims to be hiring you to pose as a regular shopper evaluating the work environment at stores like Wal-mart, K-mart, Home Depot and McDonald’s, his first assignment for you invariably is to test out the services at a money-transferring agency like Western Union or MoneyGram. The letter includes a check and a survey form that all appear professional and legitimate. Initially, the bank might even cash the check, but then they discover later that the check’s bad, and the money has to be paid back to the bank, after you’ve already mailed it back to the scamster, who is on the run looking for new victims.

“I’m always moving around,” Campbell admitted.

Margaret and Larry Hoots, of Norfolk, received Campbell’s assignment. But thankfully they didn’t fall for it.

They both are veterans of the Korean War, and are now retired senior citizens living on a fixed income. “I was taught to be on the alert,” Margaret Hoots said. Their son fell for the scam two years ago, losing $3,500, so now their mission is to warn others to beware.

Laura Howard, also of Norfolk, contacted our office when she received a similar letter too. “Really it’s so weird and disturbing,” she said.

If you suspect you have received a scam letter like this, we encourage you to notify our office’s consumer hotline, 800-451-1525.

Consumer protection is an important statutory duty of the Office of the Attorney General, and our staff can help. In an age of increased consumer issues, we all must continue to be educated and vigilant.

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Stafford County:  Four Arrested in Alleged Scam, Attack Targeting Elderly Man

from NewsChannel 8 - http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0709/642381.html

Authorities say an 89-year-old man survived an alleged scam and assault after police say four Stafford County men tried to take his money.

All four men are reportedly under arrest Tuesday night and police are wondering if there could be more victims.

The neighbors know what happened -- especially those who have lived near Hope Road for a long time. Their elderly friend fought off men who tried to take his money.

"One was talking to him while the other ones were in his house doing what they need to do.... whatever they were after money or whatever they could get a hold of," said Bennie Lester, a neighbor.

Stafford County deputies say the men faced the barrel of the man's gun after they allegedly forced their way into his home and began to attack him.

"He ended up on the floor. He was able to get the gun from underneath the mattress and then he brandished the firearm, pointed it at them and at that point they began to taunt him," said Major David Decatur of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators say the victim was approached last week by the men who traveled in a red pickup truck. They reportedly said they'd been there before to reseal his asphalt driveway and offered to do it again at a discount rate of $2,000 if he paid in cash.

The victim did and when his family found out and believed he'd been scammed, they filed a report at the sheriff's office. The next day, deputies say they received a 911 call for help from the man who said the men had returned and were ransacking his house.

That's when, authorities say, the homeowner pulled a gun on them. The alleged scam artists left but deputies caught up with them a few miles away and arrested all four. 

  2008 Chevy Silverado Truck - Tennessee License Plate # 809QRB  

-- Stafford County Sheriff's Office    
"It is scary -- now we'll watch out for more closely," said Mary Lester, a neighbor.

Shirley Gibson says her driveway was resealed last month but she was careful who did the work. "We haven't had anybody stop and try to take our [money]," she said.

Anyone with information about the suspects or the crime is asked to call the Stafford Sheriff's Office at 540-658-4400.

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FBI Warns of Telephone Scammers Targeting Grandparents

By Eric Gillard 247-4879

10:42 PM EDT, July 31, 2009

YORK — Two different phone calls within two weeks. Two different stories of an immediate need of money. Two similar scams.

"They hooked us in on the first call," said Felix Pitts, whose family was recently the target of con artists pretending to be their grandchildren and stuck in Canada in need of thousands of dollars to get them out of emergency situations.

"It's very weird how this thing comes down."

"We don't understand how we got randomly called," Barbara Pitts said. "The voice really had us fooled."

The Pitts aren't the first family in the area to be targeted by scammers.

"In the last week, it's been popping up," said Better Business Bureau spokeswoman Alison Preszler.

Grandparents are being targeting because the scammers prey on their vulnerability, Preszler said. "Grandparents are really susceptible because they love their grandchildren."

According to PhoneBusters, a Canadian anti-fraud call center that the Pitts were told to contact by the Norfolk FBI office, these types of scams seek grandparents by someone claiming to be one of their grandchildren. The caller says they are in some sort of trouble — a car accident, in jail needing bail money, medical emergency, etc. — and they need money immediately.

Wanting to help their grandchild, the victim sends money via a wire transfer though Money Gram or Western Union. Variations on this scam exist.

"I don't know of anyone who's gotten their money back," Preszler said. "It's practically impossible to get your money back."

When the Pitts received a second similar call Tuesday, they were ready. They asked the caller questions to verify the identity, and the scammer quickly hung up.

Tips on avoiding phone scams

• Resist the urge to "act now" when called.

• Ask questions about the situation.

• Never throw away ATM receipts, credit statements, credit cards or bank statements in a usable form.

• Never give your credit card number over the telephone unless you make the call.

Sources: FBI, Better Business Bureau and AARP Elder Watch

If you feel that you might have been a victim of this scam, call the FBI's Norfolk Field Office at 455-0100 or PhoneBusters at 1-888-495-8501.

Copyright © 2009, Newport News, Va., Daily Press

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Financial Abuse of Elders Takes a Growing Toll

By Michelle Singletary

Washington Post / July 16, 2009

Fraud is bad enough, but when family members or caregivers financially abuse elderly relatives or patients, that’s downright despicable.

Family, friends, neighbors, and caregivers are the culprits in 55 percent of the cases, according to “Broken Trust: Elders, Family, and Finances,’’ a report from the MetLife Mature Market Institute, produced in conjunction with the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and Virginia Tech University.

Law enforcement and securities officials say the recession is pushing more people to steal from well-off seniors.

“Elder financial abuse is becoming the crime of the 21st century,’’ said Fred Joseph, president of the North American Securities Administrators Association.

The annual loss is estimated to be at least $2.6 billion, according to the report. The typical victim of elder abuse is a woman over 75 who lives alone.

Financial abuse of elders can happen in a number of ways, according to the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse:

  Forging an older person’s signature, or getting a senior to sign a deed, will, or power of attorney through deception, coercion, or undue influence.

   permission.Using property without

  Promising lifelong care in exchange for money or property - and not following through on the promise.

  Using credit cards without authorization.

  Engaging in confidence crimes (“cons’’) in which victims are scammed by gaining their trust.

Following are some red-flag warnings to help spot financial abuse:

  Is the senior receiving information about or being asked to invest in unregistered securities or start-up companies? Check with your state securities regulator.

  Is the investment high-risk or speculative, such as rare metals or currency trading?

   signHas the senior been asked to blank paperwork or to give discretionary authority over accounts to an adviser?

   anIs the senior complaining that investment adviser won’t supply account statements?

  Has the senior made out a check directly to the adviser or broker for the purchase of an investment?

For more information, go to www.nasaa.org and search for “Senior Investor Resource Center.’’

To report elder abuse you can contact an Adult Protective Services office at www.apsnetwork.org.

“This type of crime just sets me off,’’ Joseph said. “You get victims who are in their 70s and 80s being taken for their life savings. What do they do? They can’t earn it back.’’

If you suspect a senior is being exploited, report it - even if the suspected scoundrel is a family member.

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The Bottom Line: Diet Scale

"Darn!" the man said to his friend while weighing himself at the local drug store scale.

"I started on a new diet but the scale says I'm heavier than I was before."

Turning to his friend, he said, "Here, hold my jacket."

The scale still indicated that he had not lost any weight.

"OK," he said to his friend. "Hold my Twinkies."

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Triad began in 1988 when AARP, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Sheriffs’ Association signed a cooperative agreement to work together to reduce both criminal victimization and unwarranted fear of crime affecting older persons. Today, Triad is active in47 states, including

Virginia Department for the Aging

Attorney General of Virginia TRIAD Site

Roanoke Valley Financial Crimes Task Force

Free Annual Credit Report

National Do Not Call Registry

SeniorNews Magazine

Virginia 2-1-1

Senior Navigator

Introduction to Identity Thieft