The Latest

North Little Rock, Arkansas – Found money. At least four people have been victimized in North Little Rock by strangers who approach them saying they work for an attorney or a bank and have found money. They then get the elder to withdraw and give them "good faith" money in return for a promise to share the found money with them. (June 30, 2005)

Eastpointe, Michigan – House painters. A 27-year-old man and a 31-year-old man were arrested and charged with home invasion for tricking a widow in her 90s into giving them $3,000 in cash, while they simultaneously stole $800 from her bedroom. They had approached her offering to paint her house. (June 30, 2005)

Fort Lupton, Colorado – Paving dirt driveways. A man recently visited several homes in Fort Lupton, offering to pave dirt driveways. Police note such "travelers" are seasonal, focus on elders, and "often drive new vehicles." (June 29, 2005)

Cut Bank, Montana – Lottery. Local elders are getting letters with checks attached as “first installment” on lottery wins. The elders are directed to cash the check and send 60% back for taxes. (June 29, 2005)

Trotwood, Ohio – Found negotiable bonds. Two women met a 78-year-old woman in a Value City store and said they had some negotiable bonds. Although the first bank warned her not to do it, the elder succeeded in withdrawing and giving them $8,000. The suspects ran off when they were confronted at a second bank where the woman attempted to withdraw $9,000. (June 23, 2005)

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida – Lottery scam. A man received a Bank of America cashier’s check for $4,000 to pay for “taxes” on a $49,000 lottery payout. (June 23, 2005)

Charleston, West Virginia – Medicare prescription cards. "At least six West Virginians have given their bank account numbers to scam artists claiming to sell the Medicare prescription drug benefit cards that go into effect Jan. 1, according to an e-mail alert sent to state Medicare and consumer protection officials." At least 13 states have reported similar scams. (June 23, 2005)

Wolfhurst, West Virginia – Street surveyors. An elderly couple was approached by two men posing as surveyors for the street department. One talked to the couple outside the house while the other robbed their house of ten thousand dollars in cash. (June 18, 2005)

Knoxville, Tennessee – Pressure washing, roof work, or driveway sealing. Scam artists in khakis and golf shirts driving large pickup trucks with South Carolina tags are targeting elders trying to scam them through home repairs. (June 15, 2005)

Acadiana, Louisiana – Internet lottery. An elderly woman lost $60,000 in a series of scams that began with an e-mail saying she had won a $3 million Canadian lottery. The initial "processing fee" request was for only $20. (June 13, 2005) 

Pinellas County, Florida – Plumber or city water worker. "A 91-year-old woman says she was tricked into tapping her kitchen faucet with a spoon while crooks stole a safe from her home." The men posed as plumbers or city water workers. (June 9, 2005) 

Multiple states – Oregon lottery. Two fictious Salem companies, Golden Lotto Mega Bucks and Top Hat Lotto, have "claimed at least seven victims in Georgia, Florida, California and Pennsylvania who combined have lost about $30,000…." "Investigators don't expect any victims in Oregon because the state lottery requires winners to buy a ticket or sit at a video poker machine to win…." (June 9, 2005) 

Portland, Oregon – Senior center physical therapist. A woman is going door-to-door claiming to be a physical therapist working for the senior center. Once invited inside, she asks to use the bathroom or get a drink of water and steals prescription medications. Article includes a physical description of the suspect. Article: http://www.kptv.com/Global/story.asp?s=3447918 (June 8, 2005) 

Michigan – Medicare Prescription Plan D. The attorney general is warning Michigan seniors about telephone calls ranging "from offers of assistance enrolling the senior in the Medicare prescription drug benefit plan, to claims that the senior's Medicare card will expire." These are frauds, he says; "Callers are seeking personal information including bank account, credit card, and social security numbers." (June 6, 2005) 

Worth, Illinois – Leaking gas tank. A man and woman have been arrested and charged with convincing several elderly women that their cars were leaking gas, and that the man could fix the problem. The couple would then steal from the women. The couple is believed to have been involved in incidents in Hickory Hills, Blue Island, Burbank, and Summit, and police are asking any other victims to contact them. (June 3, 2005) 

Glen Ridge, New Jersey – Can you help us? Two or three women have been scamming elders by waiting until an elder goes outside, then asking for something "from the resident that forces them to go inside the house," such as a request for paper or a pen. Each time, the woman follows the elder into the home and distracts the elder while one or two others enter the home and steal things. Article includes some descriptions of the suspects. Article: http://www.localsource.com/articles/2005/06/01/the_glen_ridge_paper/
news/local/doc429e0eebde32d498938571.txt (June 1, 2005) 

Roxbury Township, New Jersey -- $5,000 government grant. It was the mayor's wife who received a call from a scamster saying she had won a $5,000 government grant because she had never declared bankruptcy and had never been late in paying her property taxes. "It wasn't long before this Ms. Wright began asking for a bank account number to make the supposed deposit." (June 1, 2005) 

Illinois – Medicare Prescription Plan D. "A prescription scam is infecting Illinois and targeting seniors." Phone callers are posing as insurance agents to help seniors understand the new prescription drug benefit, and are asking for elders' bank account numbers. (June 1, 2005) 

Mesa, Arizona – Charity solicitation. A 45-year-old Mesa man has been arrested for soliciting donations to U.S. Mission, which had fired him in January, and altering the checks and cashing them himself. He "targeted elderly residents." Police are asking other possible victims to call them at 480-644-2211. (June 1, 2005) 

Algiers, Louisiana – Free meals and house painting. "According to investigators, in the past week a man has been knocking on the doors of elderly residents and using a variety of stories from telling them they have qualified for free meals to offering free house painting, police said. The man convinces the resident to allow him inside and then steals items such as wallets and purses." Includes description of suspect. Article: http://www.theneworleanschannel.com/news/4532363/
detail.html (May 25, 2005) 

Bingham, Maine – Multiple scams. Article discusses four unrelated current scams against elders and people with disabilities. One female elder lent $25,000 to a man who befriended her; a disabled man lost $5,000 to a different man who befriended him, moved in, and stole and forged a check; a 70-year-old woman lost $5,000 to a "law firm" that said she'd inherited money; and another woman lost several thousand in a fake internet lottery. (May 25, 2005) 

Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania – Driveway sealers. While one man talked to an elderly couple about a driveway sealing job, another man entered their house and burglarized it. Includes description of one man. Article: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/
4525275/detail.html (May 24, 2005) 

Bakersfield, California – Can I have a ride? A 75-year-old man lost $5,000 in a pigeon drop scam run by two men. Article includes description of the two men and their mode of operation, and notes, "This same type of offense involving suspect [sic] similarly described has been reported twice this year by elderly victims." Article: http://www.bakersfieldonline.us/news/read/2/31600 (May 23, 2005)

New Braunfels, Texas – Nigerian letter. This "Nigerian" scam came in the form of a letter from a South African gentleman who was in the Netherlands in school. (May 20, 2005)

Hamilton and Butler Counties, Ohio – Flooring/roofing sales. A middle-aged couple is talking their way into the homes of elderly widows, posing as representatives of a flooring and roofing company, and stealing money and prescription drugs while the homeowner is distracted, perhaps while getting them water. This article includes minor physical description: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/
pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050520/
NEWS01/505200417/1056/news01 (May 20, 2005)

Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties, South Carolina – Duke Power employees. Two men stole more than $1,000 from a 78-year-old woman by pretending to be employees from Duke Power. One distracted her while the other went inside and went through the house. Police say the scam has happened twice in Spartansburg County and one in Cherokee County. (May 19, 2005)

Green River, Wyoming – Lottery scam. A 95-year-old Green River man will recover $459 of about $1,000 bilked from him in a series of mail scams. The refunds are coming from the solicitors, who were written by the Wyoming Attorney General's Consumer Affairs Department. (May 19, 2005) 

Worth County, Georgia – Lottery. Relatively lengthy partial transcript of a phone scam involving a sweepstakes: http://www.walb.com/Global/
story.asp?S=3363485&nav=5kZQa3kM (May 18, 2005) 

Milwaukie, Oregon – Water inspector. A man posing as a water inspector convinced a 78-year-old woman to let him into her home and run water to cover the sound of someone else going through her house. "Police in Vancouver said three men using the same pretense entered the home of an elderly couple last week and stole about $1,000." (May 18, 2005)

Sacramento, California – Croatian immigrants. Scam artists are targeting elderly Croatian immigrants, asking (in Croatian) for financial help for other Croatians who wish to come to the U.S. At least one female elder wired $1,000 to the scammers. (May 17, 2005)

Dover Township, New Jersey – Visit by lottery official. An 83-year-old woman sent more than $15,000 after a man visited her and told her she'd won a $1.2 million lottery. (May 13, 2005)

Columbia Township, Michigan – Driveway repair.Two men tried to swindle a couple in their 80s out of $4,000 by applying a coat of something to their driveway, then demanding 10 times the amount they originally quoted for the job ($420). While one argued with the elder, "the other used a screwdriver and hammer to get inside through a locked door." (May 12, 2005)

Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana – Home repair. Two men "have been operating in our area for the past two weeks. They approach elderly residents and solicit work to complete home repairs for a specified amount of money. Then they con the resident into signing a blank check, and subsequently make the check out for much more than the agreed-upon price." (May 11, 2005)

San Francisco, California -- Auto accident.Two women scammed an 86-year-old man out of $4,000 by convincing him he had hit their car and would lose his driver's license due to age if they called police. (May 11, 2005)

Kent, Washington – Dying African relative. Two women "swindled $2,700 from an elderly man after convincing him that one of the women was about to receive a lot of money from the U.S. government and would share it with him." She needed the money in the meantime to visit a dying relative in Africa. (May 10, 2005)

Virginia, Minnesota – Telephone lottery scams. The scam involves a person being phoned and told that they have won a million dollar lottery. The caller then is told to furnish a credit card or bank account to pay for the transfer of money or so the transfer of money can be placed into their account. (May 10, 2005)

East Providence, Rhode Island – House buyer. A man convinced an elderly woman that he wanted to buy her house, and asked for repeated tours of the home. He also talked to her about jewelry and jewelers, and stole some jewelry. He has been caught and convicted. (May 7, 2005)

Potsdam, New York – Social Security worker. An elderly man was bilked out of nearly $3,000 by a telephone caller who said they were from "the Attorney General's Office in Manhattan. He was told that he had won $100,000 and had to pay $2,800 in order to keep the IRS from cutting off his Social Security payments." (May 6, 2005)

North Bergen, New Jersey – Utility workers. Two con men posing as utility workers talked their way into an elderly North Bergen man's home Wednesday evening and robbed him of $200 at knifepoint. (April 29, 2005)

Houston, Texas – Water workers.About $4,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from the home of an elderly woman after she let in two men who said they were water workers. (April 29, 2005)

Cleveland, Ohio – Grocery store purse snatching. "A small group of men have been secretly snatching cash and credit cards from elderly women shopping at the Lake Shore Boulevard plaza for the last 18 months. …[T]he victims are always elderly females." A detective said, "Two to three people will be working together. Someone will divert the woman's attention while his accomplice takes her wallet out of her purse." They have also been known to politely ask a woman about certain products in her cart, claiming to be on a special diet. (April 26, 2005)

Lincoln Park, Michigan – Frozen meat sales. Police are investigating whether a man who sells frozen meat door to door is scamming elders by charging them far more than the meat is worth. (April 21, 2005)

Fort Wayne, Indiana – Lottery scams. A 90-year-old Fort Wayne man lost many tens of thousands of dollars to both a Canadian and an Australian lottery scam. (April 14, 2005)

Pearl, Mississippi – Grant worker. A disabled Pearl woman has reported that she received a call from a man who called her by her first name and said she had qualified for an $8,000 government grant to pay her medical bills. He asked for a $250 fee to process the "grant." (April 13, 2005)

Portland, Oregon – Water Bureau employees. Two men knocked on an elderly woman's door, identified themselves as Portland Water Bureau employees, and asked to inspect her water pipes. They then demanded money. Another day, a man knocked on the door of an elderly man and said he was a worker on the road construction project in the neighborhood and said the project had damaged the man's water pipes. While they went downstairs to examine the "damage," his house was ransacked. (April 13, 2005)

Worcester, Massachusetts – Burglars. Police are warning elders they appear to be targeted by burglars who are responsible for at least 10 break-ins at homes near the town lines of Auburn and Leicester. The burglars are apparently entering the homes through unlocked doors and windows. (April 13, 2005)

Clinton, Maryland – Repairmen. Two men are knocking on doors in Clinton, soliciting yard work or home repairs. They then produce a gun and are robbing elderly homeowners. (April 8, 2005)

Tooele, Utah – Identity theft. A 28-year-old man apparently used the identity of an 84-year-old man who shot and killed his 81-year-old wife and then himself to rent cars. (April 7, 2005)

Edwardsville, Pennsylvania – Former residents of house. Two women entered an older woman's home claiming they had lived in her home before and wanted to see how it changed. One tried to distract the woman while the other went through the house. (April 7, 2005)

Ann Arbor, Michigan – Gas company workers. "Police are warning residents in the Ann Arbor area to be on the lookout for three men who posed as gas company workers [investigating a gas leak] to rob an elderly couple." (April 7, 2005)

Baltimore County, Maryland– Friendly women. One or two women have posed as nurses, caretakers or housekeepers, approaching older men unexpectedly inside grocery stores, gas stations, or apartment complexes. They offer to run errands, clean victims' homes or take the men out to dinner. "Once the women gain the victim's trust, police said, the women take control of the victim's finances and apply for credit cards and bank accounts using the victim's identity." (April 7, 2005)

Albuquerque, New Mexico -- Canadian lottery visitor. A woman visited an elderly woman to teach her how to wire money in a Canadian lottery scam. (April 6, 2006)

Columbus, Ohio – Police impersonators. A man and a woman dressed in black with a badge forced their way into the home of a 90-year-old woman and her 73-year-old son, saying they were police officers investigating a bank robbery. They asked to see the woman's money, then stole it. (April 6, 2005)

New Orleans, Louisiana – Electrical repair. "Police said in the past several weeks, there have been at least three incidents in which scam artists approached residents and asked to make repairs on their electrical lines." Elders are the most common targets. (April 5, 2005)

Berrien County, Michigan -- IRS Agent, Grant representative.Two scams have been reported: in one, a female caller said she was an IRS agent and called the person by name. She said the person was due a refund, and she needed identifying information to forward the refund. In the other call, a male caller told an elder they had won a $5,000 grant, and needed to send a $250 payment/filing fee. (April 5, 2005)

Swoyerville, Pennsylvania – Female visitors. Two women distracted an elderly man while a third person entered the home and removed cash. (March 31, 2005

Indianapolis, Indiana – Police impersonators. At least two men and a woman are going to senior citizens' homes, showing badges, and asking to see elders' money or guns. They then take the money and/or guns. (March 30, 2005)

Nationwide – EBay scam. In a new eBay scam that "has bilked many seniors out of large sums of money," the buyer sends the seller a cashier's check for over the amount of the purchase price and asks the seller to send them the difference. The cashier's check turns out to be no good, but the money and product is gone by then. (March 28, 2005)

Knoxville, Tennessee – Medicare representative. A man has been calling homes claiming to be from the Medicare office and asking for an appointment for him to come to people's homes and review Medicare benefits with them. (March 23, 2005)

Newport, Arkansas – Iraqi veteran linoleum salesman. Elderly residents in Newport and "into Missouri" have been approached by an Iraqi veteran supposedly selling linoleum. He and a colleague hold up the linoleum while a third person sneaks into the house and robs it. (March 22, 2005)

Clairton, Pennsylvania – Acquaintance on the street.A woman has been arrested for six thefts she achieved by "walking up to senior citizens; acting as if she knew them, sometimes with an embrace; and walking off with their valuables." (March 22, 2005)

Lebanon, Missouri – Phone Canadian lottery. An elderly woman lost nearly $50,000 in a Canadian lottery scam in which she was contacted by phone. There have also been reports of a similar phone call to another elder, and a letter to a second woman, all about the Canadian lottery. (March 22, 2005)

Honolulu, Hawaii – Nigerian scam. In a new version of the Nigerian Scam, an elderly man met a woman in a chat room and talked to her for about six months before she asked him to cash huge postal money orders for her. Another 80-year-old woman was scammed by receiving a fake check in the mail; she cashed the check and sent $2,000 in cash to Nigeria before discovering the check she was sent was counterfeit. (March 18, 2005)

Miami, Florida – Parking lot accidents. At least nine elderly people have been approached by someone who claims to be employed by a well-known auto repair shop. He tells them their tie rods need repair, and he can do it right there for $525. At least one woman has been taken by the scam. (March 18, 2005)

Hillsboro, Ohio – Water department employee. "An elderly Hillsboro woman was robbed and another [elderly female] Highland County resident's home was entered Monday by a man posing as a water department employee." (March 17, 2005)

Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Pigeon drops. A man and woman ran a pigeon drop scam on a 75-year-old woman they met in a mall parking lot. A different woman scammed an 84-year-old woman out of $12,000 in a different parking lot two days later. (March 16, 2005)

South San Francisco, California – Sale of gold bars. An elderly woman lost $8,000 when two men approached her in a Salvation Army Thrift Store and asked her about converting small gold bars into cash for medical bills. (March 15, 2005)

New Orleans, Louisiana – Ride request. A 75-year-old man and an 84-year-old man were both duped out of money by two men engaging in pigeon drop schemes. (March 15, 2005)

Cincinnati, Ohio – Police impersonators. A man and a woman pretending to be police told an 82-year-old man that a prison escapee might be hiding out in his house. It is not clear they took anything after he allowed them into his house. (March 15, 2005)

Newport, Arkansas – Linoleum sales. Robbers have struck in Newport, Jonesboro, Corning, and Hoxie, when door-to-door salesmen have used linoleum samples to hide someone robbing the elders' homes. (March 10, 2005)

Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin – Grocery store purse snatching. "Four elderly women have had credit cards stolen in the past month while shopping in local grocery and drug stores." In most cases, the suspect asks the victim to reach for an item on a shelf and steals from the purse left behind in the cart. (March 10, 2005)

Newport, Arkansas – Linoleum salesmen. An 88-year-old woman was robbed by two men who were trying to show her a long sheet of linoleum flooring. Police believe an accomplice went behind the flooring and did the robbing. (March 9, 2005)

Baker, Louisiana – Police impersonators. A man and a woman took "thousands" of dollars in cash from an elderly couple by posing as police officers "investigating" drug dealing and counterfeiting. They showed the couple a legitimate receipt issued to the husband for lawn mower repair work done at a Sears facility last fall, saying they had taken the receipt from drug dealers. (March 9, 2005)

Bath, Maine – Antiques dealers. Two men claiming to be antique dealers from a town in central Maine have been visiting recently-widowed persons and aggressively trying to buy antiques. (March 7, 2005)

Texarkana, Arkansas – Distraction robberies. Two or more males are running a series of distraction scams to steal from elderly homeowners. They say they are utility workers and need to put a sticker on a back window, or can help someone with a Freon leak, etc. (March 6, 2005)

Wilmington, Delaware – I just helped you. Police are looking for a robber they say is preying on the elderly by coming up to their doors saying he has just done them a favor, like chasing kids away from their car. When they open the door to thank him, he robs them. (March 2, 2005)

Pottstown, Pennsylvania – Medical supplies customers. A 48-year-old man has been arrested for soliciting money from elderly customers of RJR Medical Supply, for whom he used to work. He has told them he would take away their supplies if they didn't give him money. (February 28, 2005)

Harlingen, Texas – Credit protection. An alert homecare worker reported to police a telemarketer from "American Consumer Benefits" who was trying to get elderly people to give him their checking account number. (February 23, 2005)

Wausau, Wisconsin – Prepaid home care. Homeward Bound has been ordered to give refunds of $650,000 (collectively) to more than 300 Wisconsin consumers with an average age of 79. The Pennsylvania-based company also must pay a fine of $162,000. State insurance officials accused the company of selling illegal and impractical -- and in the great majority of cases, unused -- home-visit insurance to 'vulnerable citizens.’ (February 17, 2005)

Fort Branch, Indiana – Previous worker. At least two elders have been scammed by a man who says he's worked for them in the past and noticed a problem at their homes that he repaired while they were gone. (February 11, 2005)

Newark, Delaware and Landenburg, Pennsylvania – Nighttime break-ins. A 77-year-old Newark woman awoke at 2:15 a.m. to find a burglar in her house. It was at least the eighth in a string of nighttime break-ins, most of them targeting senior citizens. Similar burglaries have occurred in Landenburg, Pennsylvania. (February 8, 2005)

Port Charlotte, Florida – Lottery. An 84-year-old woman lost $4,500 in a Spanish lottery scam that sent her a fake check. (February 7, 2005)

DeKalb County, Alabama – Meter readers. A man pretending to be a power company employee gained entry into an 83-year-old woman's house and stole $4,000 from her pocket book while she helped him "measure rooms." (February 4, 2005)

Picayune, Mississippi – Newfound wealth. Two women have attempted pigeon drop scams on older women in area parking lots. Article gives unusual detail about how these scams are perpetrated. (January 30, 2005)

Hurst, Texas – Roof repair. Three men approached a woman in her late 70s and said her roof needed to be repaired and they could do it for $300. (January 26, 2005)

Taunton, Massachusetts – Utility workers. An elderly couple in their 90s were robbed of a large amount of cash and bonds by two men posing as utility workers, police said Friday. (January 22, 2005)

Pascagoula, Florida – Can I use the telephone? A 33-year-old woman has been arrested for asking to use the phone of an elderly couple, and then robbing them. There were also many home invasions targeting elders in July, by a man and a woman who used similar tactics to gain entry to homes. (January 20, 2005)

Redwood City, California – Child’s lost cat. A woman and a 10-year-old boy knocked on an elderly man's window in Redwood City claiming their cat had wandered into his backyard. But police Saturday said it was just a trick. Someone sneaked into the 90-year-old man's house as he was helping the woman and boy look for a cat. They stole a safe containing cash and coins worth nearly $40,000. (January 16, 2005)

Marion, Indiana – Police charity. A man posing as a police officer tried to convince a resident of Northwood Manor to give him a "donation." A second resident reported "receiving phone calls three nights in a row from a man who said he was a policeman asking for money." (January 15, 2005)

San Diego, California – Charity telemarketer. Police are seeking a male telemarketer who defrauded an older woman out of more than $5,000 between March and August of last year, asking her to donate to charities. (January 13, 2005)

San Antonio, Texas – Investigators and insurance agents. A man and a woman are posing as insurance agents or agents from the District Attorney's office, approaching elderly women and asking them to write big checks for insurance reasons. (January 12, 2005)

Pennsylvania – El Gordo lottery. Secretary of Aging Nora Dowd Eisenhower is warning elders that e-mails and letters they are receiving concerning the Spanish lottery "El Gordo" are scams. (January 4, 2005)

Tucson, Arizona – Bogus utility workers. At least four elders have been scammed by two men posing as water employees and employees from the electric company. Once in the home, one distracts the elder while the other steals things. (December 28, 2004)

Saugus, Massachusetts – Bogus water department employee. A man posing as a Department of Public Works Water Department employee rang the bell of an elderly woman "claiming he was there to check water pipes." While he had her run water in the sink in the kitchen while "he checked the pipes," he actually ransacked her house. (December 23, 2004)

Orange County, Florida – Bank worker. A woman who is suspected of ripping off the elderly for at least a decade may be at it again in Orange County. She poses as a bank inspector and states there's a problem. She then has convinced older victims to put their debit cards in their mailbox. (December 22, 2004)

Louisville, Kentucky – Impersonating a police officer. A man has been charged with impersonating a police officer. He had a "physical encounter" with an elderly man, then showed him a badge and court documents, told him he was under arrest, and said he would take care of the charges for $10,000. Police believe he targeted other older men and men with wedding rings, and are asking other victims to come forward. (December 21, 2004)

Covina, California – Auto accidents. A heavyset 30-to-40-year-old man is being sought for causing at least four car accidents over the past month, "targeting drivers who range in age from 84 to 90." After rear-ending the elders, he steals their money or wallet when they get out to exchange information. (December 20, 2004)

Louisville, Kentucky – Foreign lotteries. At least 20 local people have been scammed by callers telling them they had won foreign lotteries. One person lost $8,000. (December 15, 2004)

Swansea, Rhode Island – Water utility scam. A couple let three men claiming to be utility workers into their home to “check out their basement walls to ensure that their property would not be damaged” by utility work. They then offered the couple $30, but asked for change from $100 bill. The police explained: “When the men entered the couple's basement they were probably looking for safes. If they cannot find any valuable items in the basement it is common for them to produce a large bill and ask for change. They will then wait to see where their victim gets the money from and rob him or her at that point." (December 15, 2004)

DeKalb County, Georgia – Ride, then large inheritance. An elder gave a man a ride to the bus station. In the car, the man showed him a letter saying he had inherited $700,000, and asked the elder to go to a bank to withdraw cash that he promised to match. He took the elder’s life savings. (December 15, 2004)

Toledo, Ohio – Driveway attacks. Five elderly north-end residents – four of whom had just returned home from shopping – have been accosted and robbed. The crimes have occurred on Austin, Elm, Mulberry, North Ontario and Peck streets between 6:50 and 11 p.m. (December 14, 2004)

Louisville, Kentucky – Donations for church. Two men are targeting elders to approach and ask for donations for a church. They have taken elders to the bank and shown what looks like a large amount of cash. They have been seen driving a white four-door sedan, possibly a Lexus. (December 13, 2004)

New York, New York – 876 calls. Phone messages are telling people to call a “toll-free” 876 number. The person who answers tries to say the caller won a lottery. But even if the elder doesn’t fall for that, the elder is billed a huge amount of money on their phone bill, part of which goes to the scammers. (December 12, 2004)

Doral and Kendall, Florida – Driveway purse snatchings. A man is following women in their 70s and 80s home from grocery stores and strip malls and stealing their purses in their driveways. There have been at least eight such attacks. (December 9, 2004)

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Grocery store purse snatchings. Two men are targeting elderly women at a Squirrel Hill grocery store. The men talk to the women and steal their purses when they’re not watching. (December 7, 2004)

Green Township, Ohio – Donation for the poor scam. Two men approached a 72-year-old man and said they wanted to give him $70,000 that he could donate to the poor. They persuaded him to withdraw $10,000 to show his “good faith.” (December 1, 2004)

Fords, New Jersey - Multiple phone scams. An 80-year-old woman lost $7,050 to an "FBI agent" who wanted to "settle her claim with the Canadians." A 69-year-old woman received a call saying her grandson was entitled to government grant money and wanting her to give checking or savings account numbers to transfer the money. A 70-year-old woman received a similar call from the "government grant department" about $8,000 in "unclaimed money." (November 29, 2004)

Orangesburg , South Carolina - Pre-paid burial plot not paid. An elderly woman was called and told her pre-paid cemetery plot was not completely paid. The caller asked her to meet at the cemetery to straighten things out. (November 23, 2004)

Orangeburg , South Carolina - Bogus bills. Two men convinced an elderly woman to withdraw $50,000 from the bank "before it was entirely mixed with bogus bills." The bank called the police. (November 23, 2004)

Kalamazoo , Michigan - Free phone. An elderly woman was called and told she had won a new phone and a $500 gift card if she paid $3.95 for shipping. He requested her checking account number and bank information. (November 21, 2004)

Los Angeles , California - Rear-ending. Two different elders were victimized by different men who rear-ended them. While the victim and scammers were supposedly exchanging insurance information, the scammers stole the victim's wallet or money. (November 19, 2004)

Kannapolis , North Carolina , "upstate" South Carolina , Mooresville and Burke County - Duke Power employees. A "couple of scam artists" are posing as Duke Power employees and talk to elders outside while a confederate robs the house. (November 19, 2004)

Sacramento , California - Lottery won by illegal alien. A couple in their 70s gave a Hispanic couple $20,000 in checks as good faith money while they cashed the illegal aliens' winning lottery ticket. They were approached in a parking lot. (November 19, 2004)

Spartansburg , South Carolina - "I need money." Officials believe three women are going to the homes of senior citizens and asking for cash for various reasons such as, "I've run out of gas," or "I need to pay the babysitter." (November 17, 2004)

Huntsville , Alabama - "Don't you remember me?" A man claiming to be a relative entered the house of a pair of 80-year-olds and held up linoleum flooring to hide the fact that a colleague was robbing the house. (November 17, 2004)

Ventura County , California and Arizona - "It's me and I'm in trouble." At least three elders have been scammed by callers saying, "It's me" and that they are in trouble and need money. Callers can ask questions like, "Don't you recognize my voice?" and put "police officers" on the line to confirm the caller has been arrested. (November 15, 2004)

Salt Lake City , Utah - Phone scam targeted at residents of an assisted living facility. Probably using a reverse directory, multiple residents of an assisted living facility were called by scammers trying to trick them into giving up personal information. One caller posed as a bank employee, another said the resident was "deceased" and they needed to "fix her file." A television station investigation turned up six other retirement homes in the area hit by the same or a similar scam. (November 15, 2004)

Sioux Falls , South Dakota - Drug thefts. Several elders have lost their medications - mostly "high-strength pain relievers" - to a woman or a man who came to their doors claiming to be with the Veterans Administration hospital needing to check their medications or checking smoke detectors. (November 13, 2004)

Boiling Springs, New York - Tree trimmer distraction robbery. An 80-year-old woman was scammed again by the same man who posed as a utility company worker in July. This time he claimed to be a tree trimmer while a confederate cut her front screen and took her purse. (November 11, 2004)

Crossett , Arkansas - X-ray for Social Security. An 81-year-old man lost $600 out of his wallet to two men who knocked on the door and said they were "helping people" on Social Security by X-raying chests for free. They had him empty his pockets before the procedure, than went back to their car to get the equipment. (November 11, 2004)

Muncie , Indiana - Chimney repair. Two male door-to-door contractors hired by an elderly couple to repair a chimney actually only spray-painted it, then returned later and stole money. (November 11, 2004)

Charlotte County , Florida - Emergency phone call. State prisoners are calling residents and leaving messages saying a loved one is injured or deathly ill, and telling them to call a number starting with *72. They are then capturing information that can be used to run up huge phone bills. (November 11, 2004)

Corvallis, Oregon - Bank upgrade. People are being sent e-mails saying their bank has upgraded its systems and they need to verify information on a website. Their information is then used for frauds. (November 9, 2004)

Arvada , Colorado - Sewer repair. Many homeowners have been shown videos depicting problems with their sewer lines and given estimates of up to $15,000 for repairs. The videos are not of the owner's homes and/or do not actually show damage. Even some legitimate companies are accused of these scams. (November 8, 2004)

Lombard and Lisle, Illinois - Tree trimmers. A man approached three different homeowners asking if they would like him to trim their trees. While they were talking, the houses were robbed. (November 8, 2004)

Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, and Bucks Counties, Pennsylvania - Living trusts. Attorney General Jerry Pappert is asking people who have lost money in living trusts scams to call his office at 1-800-441-2555 to see if they dealt with one of 16 persons and businesses he has brought a civil lawsuit against. (November 6, 2004)

College Hill , Ohio - Fake sheriff. A man holding himself out as a sheriff convinced a 71-year-old woman to help him "investigate" thieving bank tellers by withdrawing $9,000, which he then took. (November 5, 2004)

Reynoldsburg , Ohio - Australian lottery. A 90-year-old man almost lost "thousands" when he was called and told he won the Australian lottery and must pay a "luxury tax." (November 5, 2004)

Parkland, Pompano Beach, and Tamarac, Florida - Flower-bearing bank representative. A woman has been telephoning victims to say she will be delivering new credit cards from the elder's bank. When she arrives at the home, she collects the elder's credit cards and personal identification numbers and gives them "a new type of digital credit card," a hotel key. (November 5, 2004)

Putnam County , Ohio - Home repair scam. Two men with a West Virginia license plate stopped at an elder's house and tried to get him to pay for "preventive maintenance" done when the elder was not at home. (November 4, 2004)

Cincinnati , Ohio - Grocery store purse snatcher. Elderly female shoppers at various Kroger stores seem to be targeted by a woman for purse snatching. (November 4, 2004)

Greenwood , Indiana - Rear-ended. A 68-year-old man was bumped from behind while driving. The other driver kept trying to flag him over, and when he got out of his car, he was attacked by two men who beat him and stole his wallet. (November 4, 2004)

Tampa , Florida - Inheritance to worthy citizens. Two men approached a 76-year-old man and said their mother had wanted her money to go to "worthy people in the community." To prove his worthiness, they wanted to see his bank account. He showed them $46,000 in his safe deposit box, which they took. (November 4, 2004)

Lancaster and York Counties , Pennsylvania - Voter fraud. Several senior citizens were called and told their voter registration had expired and they shouldn't bother to show up to vote. (November 1, 2004)

Los Angeles , California - Utility workers and distraction theft. "Several" robberies of elders have taken place in which robbers claiming to be utility workers distracted the elder while an accomplice robs the house. The thieves are working in teams composed of men, women, and sometimes children, and they may be getting more physically assaultive (November 1, 2004) 

Northfield , Ohio - Canadian lottery. A 69-year-old woman lost $1,700 in a Canadian lottery scam. (October 30, 2004) 

Lansing , Michigan - Found money. An 83-year-old woman was approached in a grocery store parking lot by a woman who said she had just found $25,000 and said she would split it with her for $500 earnest money. (October 30, 2004)

Mattydale , New York - Fake flu shots. At least six elders were called and told they could obtain flu shots at a local pharmacy if they gave their Social Security and Medicare numbers over the phone. The pharmacy was not holding a flu shot clinic. (October 30, 2004)

Hawthorne , California - Found money and diversion thefts. After giving a woman a ride, an elderly woman is told she has found a bagful of money as she is getting out of the car. She needs collateral to prove the money is not stolen. At least elders have also been robbed by people who talk their way into their homes. (October 29, 2004)

Wichita Falls , Kansas - Construction scam. Men hired to do work on an elderly woman's house changed amounts in construction contracts without her consent and changed amounts on checks she gave them. (October 28, 2004)

Amherst, New York - Bank security officer. A "bank security officer" called elderly women asking them to withdraw a certain amount of money, have it put in an envelope that would preserve the teller's fingerprints, bring it to a prescribed location and hand it over. (October 27, 2004)

Genesee County , Michigan - Medicare premiums reimbursement. Letters ask elders to send their name, address, and a copy of their Medicare card to a Lexington , Kentucky address to claim "reimbursement" for Medicare premiums. (October 26, 2004)

Walnut Creek , California - Truck accident. Elderly women are flagged over by a man who says they ran into his truck. He wants to split the $1,000 deductible so that her insurance is not told of the "accident." (October 25, 2004)

California - Home care recipients. About 1.4 million computer files containing personal data on people with disabilities and elders who receive home care was stolen from a computer. (October 20, 2004)

Spartansburg County , South Carolina - Election official. An "election official" calls elders and say they have been lost from the voter rolls and he needs personal information, including Social Security numbers and birthdates, to enroll them again. (October 20, 2004)

Fairfax , Virginia - Found money. A man came up to an elderly woman and asked for help, promising money if she first gave him $5,000. The woman said no, but when the man approached an accomplice posing as a passerby, she changed her mind. They went with her to the bank where she got the money. The following week, two other men came to her house posing as FBI agents and asking her to make a withdrawal for them. She did. (October 18, 2004)

Lansing , Michigan - Illegal immigrant lottery winner. Hispanic seniors are being targeted by one or more men who say they have a winning lottery ticket but cannot cash it because they're in the country illegally. They ask the elders to give them money to prove that they won't steal the winnings. (October 15, 2004)

Richmond , Virginia - Bogus flu shots. A group of senior citizens received "flu shots" from vans parked in parking lots. It is not clear what was in the syringes. (October 14, 2004)

Pascagoula , Florida - Yard work or odd jobs. A man and a woman are going to homes and asking to do yard work or other odd jobs. They then ask to use the phone or use some other ploy to gain entrance to the house to ransack it. (October 14, 2004)

Towson , Maryland - Credit card offers. Pitching credit cards, a telemarketer obtained an elder's bank account number and withdrew $200 within 15 minutes. (October 14, 2004)

Clinton , Iowa - Home repair contractor. The owner of A-1 Custom Construction, Reliable Home Improvement, L & L Home Repairs and Eagle River Home Improvement has been charged with a long list of consumer fraud complaints. (October 6, 2004)

Franklin , Massachusetts - Utility workers and home repair workers. People driving trucks with out-of-state license plates are posing as roof contractors, utility workers, Department of Public Works employees and home repair specialists. While one makes the pitch to an elder, the other ransacks the house. (October 6, 2004)

Grand Junction , Colorado - Spanish-speaking lottery winners. Spanish-speaking elders are being targeted by con artists, who try to sell them "winning" lottery tickets. (October 5, 2004)

Carroll County , Arkansas - Area Agency on Aging worker. A man claiming to be an employee of the Area Agency on Aging obtained entry to a house to measure its rooms. In eastern Arkansas , callers said they were Area Agency on Aging employees and needed a Social Security number. (October 1, 2004)

South Bend , Indiana - Credit help for widow(ers). Prison inmates would call new widows and widowers and offer them assistance in re-establishing credit upon the death of their spouse. The victims provided credit and other information that was then used to add "authorized" users to the credit cards. (September 28, 2004)

Marietta , Georgia - Fraudulent mortgages. A man fraudulently obtained mortgages on homes owned by mostly elderly homeowners. (September 28, 2004)

Las Vegas , Nevada - Silver State Disposal employees. Elderly residents are approached by people posing as Silver State Disposal employees who knock on their door and ask for money for a relative's funeral. (September 24, 2004)

Westford , Massachusetts - International Lottery Corporation. Letter with attached checks went to elders telling them they had won a $600,000 grand prize they could claim by calling a phone number and activating the check by sending $2,000 to cover fees. (September 24, 2004)

Lakewood , Colorado - Utility workers. One elderly woman was visited by a man in a white pickup with "Comcast" markings who needed to see her interior fuse boxes. He also asked to look at a recent electrical bill before leaving. A man with a similar description asked an elderly man to watch his outdoor electrical meter while he did something inside. Both elders were robbed during the visits. (September 24, 2004)

Sewickley Township , Pennsylvania - Financial planners. Two men went to the home of an elder and convinced her to give them authorization to withdraw certificates of deposit from her bank so they could manage her money. (September 23, 2004)

Colorado Springs , Colorado - Utility worker . A man claiming to work for Colorado Springs utilities is drawing elders outside while an accomplice ransacks their home. (September 23, 2004)

Lynnwood , Washington - Landscaping scam. A man posed as a landscaper and convinced elders to give him money upfront for doing yard work. This is the second time the man has been arrested for such crimes; he was previously deported after a conviction. (September 23, 2004)

West Chester , Ohio - Distraction robbery. While one man was asking an elder about a trailer he had for sale in the yard, another person ransacked the robbed his house. (September 22, 2004)

Oklahoma City , Oklahoma - FBI delivering lottery winnings. An "FBI agent" contacted an elderly woman to say she had won the Australian lottery and asking for fees so they could pay her her $5 million. A bogus office where she called backed up the original "agent." (September 21, 2004)

Nationwide - " Sale " of products. The "owner" of Arizona-based National Home Product Services has been charging elders nationwide for products they didn't buy and threatening to sue them if they didn't pay. (September 20, 2004)

Springfield , Illinois - Medicare prescription discount cards. A telemarketing company, a Florida check processor, and two of its managers have been accused of calling elders trying to scam elders into buying fake Medicare prescription discount cards. (September 18, 2004)

Boise , Idaho - Misdirected package. A man from Canada called and said that a package belonging to an elderly woman had mistakenly been delivered to him. He "opens" the box while she's on the phone and discovers a check to her for $114,000. She had to send him nearly $3,000 for Canadian taxes. He called several times and requested additional money, all sent. (September 18, 2004)

Nationwide - Assisting deceptive telemarketers. The Iowa Attorney General is suing Teledraft, a company that "gives telemarketers instantaneous access to consumers' bank accounts," even if the consumers who own the accounts have not given permission. (September 17, 2004)

Mahoning County , Ohio - Distraction robbery. Two men stole cash and valuables from an elder's home; one distracted the homeowner with discussion of paving work on the driveway while the other ransacked the house. (September 17, 2004) 

Nashville , Tennessee - Found money. An elderly woman was approached by another woman in a Wal-Mart parking lot claiming to have found a great deal of money and offered to share the cash if the older woman gave her $10,000. The woman complied. (September 17, 2004)

Cinnaminson , Pennsylvania -- Lost wallet. A woman approached an elderly woman and asked if she had lost a wallet. She called a "banker" who told the elder she would need to withdraw $4,000 in cash from her own account in order to divide the found cash into smaller bills. (September 16, 2004)

Reno, Nevada - Bank examiner. A male caller to mostly elderly people says he is conducting an internal investigation of a local bank and asks them to withdraw a large sum of money and bring it to him across the street from the bank. (September 15, 2004)

Alamogordo , Texas - Voter fraud. At least three elderly people received phone calls telling them they didn't need to go to the polls because "their vote will be registered over the phone." (September 14, 2004)

Sunrise , Florida - Fraudulent home sales. A woman posing as a real estate agent would show potential home buyers the outside of houses that were supposed for sale, and collect "deposits" of several thousand dollars. (September 14, 2004)

Tallahassee , Florida - Are you dead? Two women called an elderly woman saying that they were representatives of credit card companies and had heard that she was dead. In order to prove she wasn't, the callers wanted the woman's Social Security number. (September 11, 2004)

Wichita , Kansas - Box full of money. A "well-dressed" woman approached a 97-year-old woman in the parking lot of an apartment building and said she would give her a box containing $250,000 in exchange for $8,000 in cash. The box was full of empty envelopes. (September 9, 2004)

Eureka , California - Bogus home painter. Male door-to-door solicitor said he would paint the home of an elderly lady, but needed money up front. He came back for more money, which she gave him, but never did the work. (September 3, 2004)

South Ozone Park , New York - Pressure to sell homes cheap. At least one elderly man was pressured to sell his house under what it was worth to a 30-year-old woman. She had names of other elderly men in her car. (September 2, 2004)

Detroit area, Michigan - Water bill refunds. Home visitors tell homeowners they are there to give a refund on the water bill, but need change for two $50 bills. (September 2, 2004)

Indiana - Medicare discount drug cards. Phone callers are telling elders they can receive a government discount drug card for providing a credit card number or checking account number to withdraw the cost of the card. (September 1, 2004)

Windermere , Florida -- Harris Financial Services. The owner of Harris Financial Services, an insurance agent, is being charged with churning accounts and falsifying papers concerning his customers' accounts. If you know any possible victims who have not yet been in contact with authorities, call the Florida Division of Insurance Fraud hotline at 800-378-0445. (August 31, 2004)

National -- International Payout Services. This company is currently using a fake Hawaiian address and a Vancouver , British Columbia fax number to scam people with a fake lottery scam. (August 30, 2004)

Turlock , Lodi and Stockton , California -- Various. Current scams being reported in Turlock , Lodi and Stockton include: roofing leaks, credit information for a "prize" winner, Canadian lottery scam, someone calling elders pretending to be a younger relative, and the Nigerian bank scam. (August 26 and 29, 2004)

Lenawee County , Michigan -- Help getting to Chicago . A woman is calling elderly men and women, saying they have helped her before, and asking for money to help her get to Chicago to help a daughter or sisters who has been in an accident and been hurt. The names she has used include Diane, Jean, and Gloria Swanson, and Mary Jane. (August 24, 2004)

Wyoming and Ottawa and Wexford Counties, Michigan -- Roofing scam. Two to three men, possibly in a gold truck, have been scamming elders about their roofs needing work. In one case, two of the men returned two months later to rob the female elders. (August 21, 2004)

Columbus , Ohio -- Police asking for assistance. A man has been approaching elders, showing a gun and badge, and identifying himself as a police officer. He then shows pictures of a "robbery investigation" and asks for money to assist in the investigation. The scam has been run five or six times since July. (August 18, 2004)

Dania Beach , Florida -- Friendly visitors. Two women acted as though they knew an elderly couple, who invited them in. While one was chatting with the couple, the other robbed them. The women may be connected with about 12 people who are running scams in this and the Miami-Dade County area. (August 18, 2004)

Bellmawr , New Jersey -- Tree surgeons. Elders in Burlington Township, Bellmawr and Greenwich Township have been robbed after a man lured them outside to show them trees that needed to be trimmed. "All the while [the man they're talking to] is on a cellular telephone talking to his accomplice," who is robbing the house. (August 15, 2004)

Arkansas -- Assistance in signing up for Patient Assistance Programs. Attorney General Mike Beebe is warning about a new scam wherein a person offers to sign elders up for a Patient Assistance Program for "as much as $75, plus per-month prescription-refill fees." The program is actually available for free, although legitimate organizations may charge up to $5 for help with the forms. (August 6, 2004)

Mississippi -- Canadian lottery . The Mississippi attorney general is warning that many elder Mississippians have recently fallen victim to various versions of the Canadian lottery scam, including one that "involves fake FBI and Canadian authorities asking the targeted victim to accept $250,000 in 'reward' money for providing information on a sweepstakes scam originating in Canada . The crooks ask for a $2,500 fee before turning over the reward money." (August 4, 2004) 

Victorville , California -- Parking lot purse snatchings. A "group of juveniles who know each other" have snatched the purses of at least six older women at several different parking lots in Victorville. (August 3, 2004)

Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania -- Water repairman. A "water repairman" who flashes an identification card and asks to check the water pressure has robbed at least one elder once he got inside. (August 3, 2004)

Auburn , Washington -- Free soup salesman. A door-to-door vacuum salesman is targeting elders, getting in the door with offers of cans of free soup. He does sell very high-priced vacuums (with high-pressure sales tactics), but also returns repeatedly to borrow money. He does sometimes return money when asked. There have been at least five victims. (July 30, 2004)

California -- Variable annuities. The California Department of Corporations, in "an extremely rare" "sweep" of broker and dealer offices,, will "closely examine records to determine the suitability of the [variable annuities] investments sold to the public. (July 26, 2004)

Nationwide -- D.W. Heath & Associates . More than 1,000 elders in 25 states have allegedly been scammed by businesses owned by D.W. Heath, based in California . The receiver's report on the company is available at http://www.heath-receiver.com/index.html. (July 24, 2004)

Osceola County , Michigan -- Asphalt driveways. "An annual scam involving home improvement has hit Osceola County once again.... The scam is targeted toward the elderly and asphalt driveways." Those approached to have their driveways repaired are asked to call the Michigan State Police - Reed City Post at 231-832-2221. (July 12, 2004)

Montgomery County , Maryland -- Russian community focus of fake Medicaid billings. Natailya Skrinskaya, 44, has been billing Medicaid for in-home services she could not have performed. An official from the attorney general's office says, "The Russian community in Montgomery County appears to be the target of several people attempting to defraud Medicaid." (July 7, 2004)

Suffolk , Virginia -- Power company employee or surveyor. Over the Fourth of July weekend, a man pretending to be a power company employee or a surveyor used a colleague to rob two elders by drawing them out of their homes while someone else robbed them. (July 7, 2004)

Battle Creek , Michigan -- Fake police officers. At least twice, a man in his 60s and one in his 30s have knocked on the doors of elders, displayed a badge, and tried to enter the homes of their victims. (June 10, 2004)

Jackson County , Michigan -- Canadian lottery. "A new mail scam" involving the Canadian lottery has been reported. Two female elders in two years have been victimized. (June 9, 2004)

Des Moines , Iowa -- "Medicare" prescription cards. At least a dozen elders have reported receiving telephone calls from people who want to offer them advice on Medicare prescription cards. (June 3, 2004)

Del Ray Beach, Florida -- Pickpocketing on senior citizen days. The Del Ray police believe at least 48 people, mostly female, are stealing checkbooks from elders and others. They are said to particularly "lurk" in stores or Goodwill thrift shops on senior citizen days. They also convince other elders to help them cash the checks. (June 3, 2004)

Nationwide -- Viatical or life settlement sales or investments by Mutual Benefits Corporation and Viatical Venefactors, LLC. A law firm is seeking people who bought viatical contracts or invested in the above companies from late 1994 on, to join a class action lawsuit. The deadline to register is July 27, 2004 ; registration can be done at http://www.geller-rudman.com/. (May 28, 2004)

Hebron , Connecticut -- Hydraulic leaks in the neighborhood. At least two people come to a homeowner's house and say there is a hydraulic leak. While the homeowner goes with the people to investigate the leak, a third person goes through the bedroom and steals safes. (May 7, 2004)

Shepherdsville , Kentucky -- Long-lost grandson. A 47-year-old man scammed a woman by showing up on her doorstep and convincing her he was her long-lost grandson. He ended up physically abusing her as well as extorting more than $60,000. ( May 7, 2004)

St. Petersburg , Florida -- "Free" water tests offered by "official-looking letter." A letter is sent to elders offering a free water test, followed up a phone call (in at least one case, the call followed pipe work that did turn the water black). When the water test is done, the man pressures the elders into buying a water softener that costs 2000% than similar versions. (May 2, 2004)

Nationwide -- "Medicare" prescription cards. Telemarketers or door-to-door salespeople call on elders to sell them one of the new "Medicare" prescription cards. All such solicitations are fake; legitimate insurance companies may not call upon an elder unless he or she has requested the visit or call. To report fraudulent schemes, call 1-800-MEDICARE or go to www.medicare.gov. (April 23, 2004)

Lancaster , California -- Security job with Reba McEntire. A woman scammed many people, including at least one elder, by telling them they could have jobs as a security officer on a tour with singer Reba McEntire if they paid her money upfront. (April 17, 2004)

Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin -- Social Security's "scheduled visits." Scams have been reported in all three states in which a caller from "the Social Security Administration" says they will make a house call, or say there's been a power outage and the agency has lost some of their personal information that they need to re-collect. (April 15, 2004)

Franklin Park , Pennsylvania -- "Investments" sold by Financial Management Advisory Services, Inc., Financial Management Services, Inc., and Alpha & Omega Transportation, Inc. Bryan James Hawes, 52, owner of the above three businesses pleaded guilty to stealing up to $7 million from more than 50 victims by embezzling from their accounts. He also stole from clients invested in funds management by Fidelity Investments of Boston. (April 9, 2004)

Nationwide -- Fraudulent "purchases" by crooks using a telephone relay system for deaf people. Crooks are using free phone services designed for hearing- and speech-impaired Americans to order big-ticket items (more than $10,000) from companies using stolen credit-card numbers. The operators may suspect fraud, but are forbidden by law from hanging up. (April 9, 2004)

Connecticut -- Furniture repair. Consumers -- more than half of whom were elders -- in at least nine Connecticut towns have been scammed by a man accused of placing newspaper ads for furniture repair, taking deposits, and not completing the work or doing it poorly. (April 9, 2004)

Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties, California -- Sale of shares in Buena Vista Infomercials of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A 62-year-old man is being charged with selling worthless shares in the above company. There were at least ten victims in Santa Cruz County and at least 30 in Santa Clara County . (April 5, 2004 and March 19, 2004)

San Jose , California -- Spanish-speaking lottery winner. In at least 12 cases, a couple targets elderly Hispanic people and tell them they need help in collecting a winning lottery ticket because they are in the country illegally, and ask for "good faith" money. (April 1, 2004)

Turlock , California -- Grandchild needs bail money. "Several" elders received calls from people saying they were their grandchild or were representing their grandchild and needed bail money. If you were the victim of such an exam, please call the Turlock Police Department at 209-668-5550. (March 26, 2004)

Torrington , Connecticut and Texas -- Associates Capital Management and Associates Venture Capital. A 38-year-old man is being charged in both Texas and Connecticut with stealing more than $5 million from members of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Torrington and others. (March 17, 2004)

Colorado Springs , Colorado -- Liens from jail. Using a jail computer, an inmate succeeded in winning two bogus liens worth $70,000 against a 95-year-old female nursing home resident. Courts approved the liens, believing the man's claims that he had done unpaid work on the woman's home and served her with the appropriate documents. The liens were discovered only after relatives tried to settle her estate. The inmate faces felony fraud charges, but has hired a lawyer to collect on the liens. (March 15, 2004)

Florida , Ohio , Oklahoma -- LifeTime Capital Inc. An estimated 4,000 investors lost $20 million in a scam involving the sale of viatical insurance policies. A receiver, H. Thomas Moran of Oklahoma City , is seeking to recover losses from the company. (March 15, 2004)

Morgan Hill , California -- Buena Vista Infomercials. A 62-year-old man allegedly sold shares in limited liability partnerships offered by Buena Vista Infomercials of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Victims paid from $5,000 to $70,000 to bankroll products advertised by infomercials. Victims were told their "investments" were guaranteed by Morgan Stanley. The securities were not registered in either Florida or California. (March 19, 2004)

Torrington , Connecticut and Texas -- Associates Capital Management and Associates Venture Capital. A 38-year-old man is being charged in both Texas and Connecticut with stealing more