Austintown authorities warn elderly to be cautious of mail fraud

By kalea hall

khall@vindy,com

austintown

When an 84-year-old township woman received a check for $4,650 in the mail a few weeks ago, she second-guessed the authenticity of the check.

“I didn’t get excited,” she said. “If it sounds like it is too good to be true, then it is not true.”

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, went to the police, who told her it was most likely a scam that the Austintown Police Department sees frequently.

“Nine times out of 10, it is a fraud if they ask you to send money back,” Austintown police Detective Sgt. Jordan Yacovone said.

A letter received Feb. 10 had “Liberty Financial Services” at the top. It gave instructions to the woman to call her claim agent to begin the processing and to “activate” the check. The letter also congratulated her on her second-place achievement in a sweepstakes on her winnings of $355,000. The first check was issued for $4,650, but a processing fee of $3,850 would be taken from that.

The letter also explained that Liberty Financial Services was acting as the informant for an international sweepstakes known as the USA Mega.

The check itself is issued by a “Griswold Special Care” company out of Maryland from Citizens Bank in Rhode Island.

The postage on the letter is South African and the address listed “USA,” which the woman thought to be peculiar.

“I know how older people can be scammed, so I have to be very careful,” she said.

The elderly are often subject to fraud more than others.

Yacovone said it is best to call the police if fraud is suspected, even though it is difficult for police to track down.

“It is so common, and it is so hard to track,” he said.

A check in the mail that comes unexpectedly is a major sign that it could be fraudulent. If cashed, the person cashing the check will be charged.

“We are here 24/7, so if you suspect any fraud there is nothing wrong with showing us the letter,” Yacovone said.