Seniors in independent living settings at risk for construction fraud


The warmer weather that comes as summer approaches means that construction crews are out in neighborhoods, taking advantage of fewer storms to quickly complete work.


It also means, however, that seniors with their own houses who choose independent living are at risk for certain scams that have begun cropping up


Seniors in independent living settings at risk for construction fraud everywhere from Yonkers, New York to Texas.


In Yonkers, police reported that a 96-year old man was allegedly bilked out of $9,600 from someone who originally had offered to pave the man's driveway with excess materials from other projects, according to a Journal News report.


1st Precinct Commander Daniel Daly told the news provider, "They prey on their trust and good will," adding that the man alleged that he offered the prospective contractor a check, and invited him to his home, where the alleged con man reportedly stole several checks."


Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wrote an editorial in the Hill County Times that knowledge of such scams can help senior citizens be on the watch for potential trouble, and cited the statistic that only one in 25 senior fraud cases is reported in calling for seniors and law enforcement agencies to be aware of construction and other scams.


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