Boardman police alert elderly residents about scam

By Denise Dick

Two elderly township residents reported being victims of the scam within the last week.

BOARDMAN — Police are warning residents about a man who approaches the homes of elderly residents, identifies himself as a neighbor and asks to borrow money to help his family who is stranded.

The man says he’ll return to repay the money, but he doesn’t.

Within the last week, two township residents, one on Nellbert Lane and the other on Wilda Avenue, fell victim.

“He tells the people, ‘I’m your neighbor,’ and says his wife and kids are broken down on the turnpike and he asks to borrow money so he can go get them,” said Detective Chuck Mound. A similar scam was reported last year in Boardman and Poland village and in Boardman in 2007.

This time, the victims describe the man as very polite, with short blond or light brown hair, no teeth, a thin build and driving a blue compact car. He also is described as being 5-feet-10-inches tall and in his 30s.

“We were stupid,” said a 72-year-old Wilda Avenue woman. “It was stupid.”

She and her husband were at home about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when a man knocked at their door and asked to borrow money because his wife and kids were broken down in Lorain.

“I even told my husband, ‘Help him,’” the woman said.

Her husband gave the man $35, and the man got back into his car, which also contained a woman in her 30s with dark hair, and traveled west on Wilda.

She knew something was wrong when she “saw him get in the car and leave the driveway so fast.”

If they knew their neighbors better, it wouldn’t have happened, the woman said.

On March 14, a 75-year-old Nellbert Lane man told police he was at home about 9:30 p.m. March 11 when a man knocked on the door. The man said his wife was stuck on the turnpike and needed money for gas.

The victim invited the man into his home and gave him $50. The man said he would return the following day to repay the money, but he didn’t.

New Middletown police on Thursday issued a warning to residents about an identical scam in the village: wife and child stranded out of town, needs gas money, promises to pay it back. Residents are urged not to allow this person into their home.

“These are all good, caring people who want to help someone and do the right thing, and he’s taking advantage of that,” Mound said.

He urges people to be cautious in opening the door to someone they don’t know and not to give them money; call police instead.

The detective said people should try to get a description of anyone who approaches their home with a similar story asking for money. Even if someone doesn’t match the description provided by previous victims, Mound says residents should call police.

Getting a description of the vehicle including color, make, model and license plate number, if possible, would be helpful as police investigate.

denise_dick@vindy.com