LAWRENCE: Woman, 93, thwarts attempted scam

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
A 93-year-old Twin Oaks Drive resident escaped becoming a victim of a scammer who attempted to get into her house at 12:44 p.m. July 17, according to Acting Chief of Police Mark Ubry.
The woman reported that a man knocked on her door and claimed to be an arborist, Chief Ubry said. He asked her to go outside with him and into the rear yard to look at some trees.
She told him that she would not go back into the yard and that she was going to call the Police Department, Chief Ubry said. The man got into his pickup truck, which was described as a greenish-blue color, and fled.
Such incidents are not uncommon, Chief Ubry said. Residents should be wary of other scams, such as water meter or utility scams in which thieves pose as water company employees to gain entry to homes. Residents should ask for a would-be meter reader’s badge or other form of company identification for verification that the person works for that company.
Another common scam is to knock on a victim’s door and ask for help in locating a lost puppy. It’s another way to distract the resident so that an accomplice can enter the house and search for valuables. But residents can thwart the thieves by locking the door to the house.
Driveway seal coating and roof repairs are also common scams. A man will knock on the door and offer to seal coat the driveway, or make a repair to a roof leak, with material left over from another job in the area and for a small price.
The man may appear to apply a sealer to the driveway or to apply a patching material to the roof. They really want to get inside the house and will ask to use the bathroom. While his partner distracts the resident, the thief will quickly go through the house to look for money or other valuable items.