Another warning: Residents should be wary of scams

Using common sense is one of the best ways to avoid being taken by scam artists, according to officials.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- It's the season for scams.
At least two Mahoning Valley residents were swindled recently by what police consider classic confidence schemes.
In both cases, which occurred in Liberty Township, elderly residents were approached by a woman who claimed she and another woman had found a large sum of cash in a store's parking lot and were willing to split it with the unsuspecting victims.
Each time, the victims were advised to withdraw large sums of money from their banks to prove they had money and would be able to use their accounts to change the found money into smaller denominations.
Police from departments in the area's biggest shopping areas say it's a scam that's been around for some time.
"If you go back in the history books to 1911, this same scam is in there," said Jeffrey L. Patterson, chief of police in Boardman.
Patterson said that though the scam has not been reported in that township this year, in past years officers have investigated it and similar crimes.
Bank examiner scheme
In another popular one, he said, people approach senior citizens, contending to be federal bank examiners. They flash a badge, ask the victims to withdraw money from their accounts so the bills can be marked to show that a teller is stealing, and then promise to redeposit the money, which of course, never happens.
"There are others where they will show up at your home and ask for a drink of water, or ask to use the bathroom," he said. "Once they get inside, they are perpetrating a crime. The simplest solution is to not let anyone you don't know into your home."
Elderly targeted
Niles police Capt. Ken Criswell said the elderly are often targeted for several reasons, including they tend to have more money in a bank and they tend to be trusting.
"Many of them want to see the good side in people," he said. "They have to understand there is nothing free out there. In this case, what reason would someone have to give you a share of money they found? Absolutely none."
Education program
Hermitage police Chief Ed Stanton agreed that the elderly are often the victims. He said one woman lost $1,000 in a "found lottery ticket" scam; another person was approached but recognized the scam and walked away.
Stanton said the department is going to great lengths to educate the public about long-standing scams and how to avoid becoming a victim.
Boardman police department has been making the public aware of various scams through its Internet crime information list server and e-mails.
Avoid becoming victim
Liberty Chief Anthony Slifka said there are many tips people can follow to avoid being conned.
"The most important is common sense," he said. "If someone tells you that you're getting something for nothing, you're not. You always get what you pay for."
Slifka said that when he gives talks on crime prevention, he likens the situation to a lion's hunting for prey.
"If I am the lion, then I am looking for the weak and the injured, and that is my target," he said. "If you look that way to a predator, then you will be targeted."
If something doesn't seem right about a situation, it probably isn't, they said.
"Safety is always your first concern," Criswell said. "If you are approached in any manner, go into a bank or a store and ask for a manager or clerk to call police."
slshaulis@vindy.com