Watch Out! Scammers Strike during the Summer
A recent article in the Reading Eagle talks about how summer is a prime time not only for the beach and traveling, but also for scammers. Pennsylvania State Police have issued a crime alert about scams in the Reading area and other parts of Pennsylvania, which target innocent victims, particularly the elderly. Two hot summer favorites when it comes to scams are home repair scams and thefts that involve diversion or impostor frauds.
Typically, residents are approached by people posing to do home repairs for low cost, such as sealing a driveway or fixing a roof, if paid cash upfront. In other cases, someone approaches the homeowner and distracts him or her when someone else gets in the house and steals property. By the time the victim realizes the crime, the criminals are gone. A good approach to dealing with such situations, really, is to quickly decline the services and report their activities to the authorities.
If planning to go on vacation this summer, please note that many local police departments offer vacation check services. It would be a good idea for residents to take advantage of this free service to protect their homes when they are away on vacation. Please do not become a victim this summer. The key to protecting yourself is to become aware and vigilant.
Michael Monheit is the managing lawyer at Monheit Law, outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has practiced law since 1989. Michael Monheit was the managing attorney of the law offices of Herbert Monheit — now Silverman and Fodera — a firm... Michael Monheit→