In a pack, they comb the Fox Valley’s neighborhoods, searching for society’s most vulnerable victims to prey on.
For the fifth time in recent weeks, three burglars in Aurora targeted senior citizens throughout the city, stealing everything from jewelry to cash to tools. The engagement and wedding ring of an 87-year-old woman. A couple’s leaf blower at a time of year when its job is most crucial.
“They’re from the generation that wants to help and trusts other people. So for scammers, seniors are golden,” says Cherie Aschenbrenner, whose full-time job at the Elgin Police Department for the past 11 years has been working with the over-60 population and especially showing them how to avoid being scammed.
Aschenbrenner said the most common scams now targeting seniors are “ruse-entry burglaries,” like the ones being perpetrated by that gang in Aurora, and “grandchild in trouble” or “bank account in trouble” phone calls.
In another example of the ruse burglary, someone came to the door of an 85-year-old Elgin man two weeks ago. The visitor said he worked for the city and he wanted the man to go into the backyard with him and watch as he dug a hole. Fortunately, the homeowner grew suspicious and called police.
“That was a classic ruse,” Aschenbrenner said. “If he had gone to the backyard, the man would have kept him busy while someone working with him would have snuck into the house from the front, gone to the bedroom and stolen any jewelry or cash there.”
Aschenbrenner said that, besides being suspicious of any such visitor and asking for an ID, a senior can prevent ruse burglaries by keeping the front door locked and the garage door shut while outdoors. But another wise move, she said, is to put your valuables some place besides your bedroom.
Aschenbrenner said ruse burglaries are especially popular when seniors are out gardening or raking leaves.
“If you’re outside, keep your doors locked and keep a cellphone with you so you can call 911 quickly if something happens,” she said.
And if someone like this does strike, get as much specific information as possible about the person’s vehicle.
Law enforcement officials from Naperville, Aurora, Lisle, and other surrounding communities work together and make up the local TRIAD chapter.
TRIAD consists of officers and deputies working with senior advocates and senior citizens to help reduce victimization of the elderly.
According to advocacy information released by DuPage County, TRIAD’s mission is to make the community safer for seniors.
This includes expanding awareness of resources, and implementing crime prevention programs.
Phoning for help
In another favorite scam, an older person will get a phone call from an anonymous or unfamiliar number. The caller will address the victim as “Grandma” or “Grandpa,” claim they have been arrested in a far-off city and say they need to have money sent to them for bail. They will usually request the victim buy a Green Dot money-transfer card at a local store, then read the identification numbers on that card over the phone when the “grandchild” calls back.
“Once the scammers have found someone who pays — say $500 for bail — the victim will get another call from a ‘lawyer’ who says he needs $1,000 to defend the grandchild in court, and then a call from a ‘towing company’ that needs $500 to release the grandchild’s car,” said Aschenbrenner.
One person in St. Charles ended up losing thousands of dollars. But after attending one of her lectures, Aschenbrenner said, one woman contacted by a “granddaughter in trouble” demanded the caller tell her her birthday and her cat’s name. The caller just hung up.
“It really makes my day when a senior can outscam a scammer like that,” Aschenbrenner said.
Don’t believe eyes or ears
In yet another phone scam, a caller will claim to be from your bank, saying your account has been compromised and to clean up the problem, he needs your credit card or bank account information. Sometimes the caller ID will even confirm that such calls are coming from the bank.
With the click of a few keys, Aschenbrenner called up a website that offers for sale a smartphone app allowing someone to attach a false caller ID to any phone call they make.
Aschenbrenner urges everyone who has caller ID simply not to answer the phone if they don’t recognize the number or name of the person calling.
“If it really is someone you know, they will start to leave a voice mail message and you can just pick up the phone at that point, or call them back,” she said. “But if you pick up that call right away, these scammers are very fast, persuasive talkers. Before you know it, they’ll have you digging into your purse and getting those account numbers for them.”
If you do get a call from a bank about a problem, she said, before providing any personal information, you should hang up, call the bank phone number listed on the back of your credit or debit card, and ask whether someone from the bank really did just call you.
If you initiated the call, you know that you really are speaking with the bank.
Home un-improvement
After last spring’s hail storm, home-improvement scams also were common, said officials. People would knock on a senior’s door, say they had observed hail damage on the roof and offer to fix that. Often they would obtain a down payment of perhaps $500, then never come back to do the work.
“I don’t know that there’s a certain time of year (that these scams typically occur),” said Aurora Police Lt. Bill Hull. “I think that when people are getting ready to winterize and spring comes around we probably see it more.”
In the case of ruse-entry scams, which Aurora has seen a recent streak of, a group of offenders usually conspire to target a home.
Hull said they case older parts of Aurora where seniors most likely live.
“They tie you up at the door, and while they’re feeding you lies (about utilities or home repairs) someone shoots around the house and burglarizes it,” Hull said.
“Common sense will tell you that if you didn’t call somebody to come fix something or do repairs, there’s no reason they should be there,” he added. “Close the door, tell them you’re not interested, and if it feels suspicious, call police.”
According to the National Council on Aging, financial scams targeting seniors are now considered “the crime of the 21st Century.”
That’s partly because it’s a common conception seniors have a significant amount of money sitting in their accounts, the council warned recently.
The Kendall County Sheriff’s Office also receives numerous calls for service every year for people who have fallen victim to fraud, identity theft, and scams, many of whom are elderly.
“First and foremost, we recommend that citizens use good judgment when hiring a contractor for home repairs. Always ask for references, and do research on the company to ensure that they are reputable,” said Deputy B. Harl of the Community Policing Unit. “Ask friends and family for recommendations on reputable contractors they have used in the past.”
In Elgin, Aschenbrenner said, any door-to-door solicitor, except for a political or religious canvasser, is required by ordinance to have a city ID card showing he or she has registered, paid a fee and cleared a background check. If the person does not have that ID card visible on their person, the resident should call police.
Employees of utility companies, local water and sewer departments, delivery services, etc. should have company IDs and in most cases should be wearing uniforms and arriving in company-marked trucks. On May 15 next year the Elgin police will stage a “uniform fashion show” at The Centre of Elgin to show seniors what such visitors should look like.
Aschenbrenner sends out frequent fraud alerts and crime-prevention tips via email to Elgin’s Neighborhood Watch captains and to 578 seniors on her email list. And out-of-towners, she added, are welcome to sign up.
To get on that list, email aschenbrenner_c@cityofelgin,org, or call her at 847-289-2536.
“Seniors say they don’t want to call the police because they don’t want to bother us, though that’s what we’re here for,” said Aschenbrenner. “They say they feel embarrassed that they fell for something like this, or they don’t want their neighbors seeing a police car in their driveway. They’re afraid their name will be in the newspaper and they don’t want to have to testify in court and they couldn’t get there.
“You add all these things up, plus this generation’s desire to help somebody in need, and seniors are the perfect target. And the bad guys know that.”