Knock, knock.
The marked increase in attempts to scam seniors has police warning residents not to open their doors to people they do not know.
“It’s a continuous problem,” says Officer Rosa Ramirez of the Southeastern District’s Neighborhood Services Unit (NSU). “It’s not new, and it’s not just in Southeast, either.”
And make no mistake, the problem isn’t going away.
“It has happened to us five times since December,” said a Highlandtown senior who asked not to be identified. “People have come to our door and said they needed to be let in. We didn’t let them in, and they got absolutely adamant.”
In one case, the senior noted, the suspects were a man and woman. In other instances, two men were involved, and in other instances, men and women knocked on doors alone.
“They’ll say anything,” the senior noted.
Various Tactics
Criminals use a variety of ruses to get in the door. These include (but are certainly not limited to) the following:
• Stealing a victim’s mail so that the suspect knows the name of the resident;
• Pretending they took care of the victim in a hospital;
• Saying they have a gift bag for them from a local hospital or health care facility;
• Stating they are a city worker (claiming they needing to check the water meter, gas meter, pipes, gas line, etc.)
• Posing as police officers, BGE workers, phone company reps, or TV system (cable, satellite, etc.) workers;
• Representing themselves as “Avon ladies,” insurance adjustors or door-to-door salespersons.
Once inside, though, the results are always the same: the suspect claims to need help with something (a heavy bag, for example) or asks for a glass of water or the use of the bathroom or the phone. While the resident is distracted, the suspect steals cash, valuables and more.
According to Ramirez, one suspect in particular, a woman, has been making the rounds.
“She will tell people she recognizes them from the hospital and that she needs to come inside for something,” Ramirez notes. “Then when they’re distracted, she bolts upstairs without permission.”
The district’s officers have a possible suspect, but are trying to get a positive identification.
“Unfortunately, the victims so far have not been able to identify her,” says Ramirez.
The ‘Nice Person’ Trap
One of the traits criminals count on is the politeness of neighborhood residents, who want to be helpful to others. It is difficult for many seniors to act in what they feel is a rude manner, even to those they do not know. In addition, if the person is impersonating an authority figure, such as a city official, police officer, etc., the task of facing them down becomes even more imposing to a senior.
But say police, the simplest answer is not to open the door at all to a stranger. Keeping the door closed is the simplest way of preventing a confrontation.
“I keep telling people, ‘Don’t go to the door,’” says Ramirez. “They’re right on the other side, and if they kick the door in, you’re going down with it. I tell them, ‘Go to the window and look outside and see who’s at the door. Have your cell phone or your cordless phone in your hand. If you don’t recognize that person, call the police. 911 isn’t going to be upset at you for calling them. They’ll be glad you did.’”
Additionally, contacting police can make them aware of the territory scammers are staking out, and can allow them to monitor the area, and to keep all residents informed of the threat. The more police presence an area has, the less likely scammers are to do their dirty work there.
“Some of these little complaints that people call in to us will turn out to be a big deal,” says Ramirez. “I keep telling people, ‘Make that call. If someone is claiming to be from BGE, call BGE and ask if they’ve sent someone. If someone says they’re a police officer, call 911. You can always check.”
There is no need, she notes, to be polite to a person who is a criminal.
In addition, says Ramirez, seniors should not engage in conversation if approached by someone they do not know.
“I say, ‘Just keep walking. Don’t go to your house because they’ll try to follow you inside. Go to a corner and try to flag down a police officer, or go to a store or a business and ask someone there to call the police if a person is not leaving you alone and is following you and bothering you. If you don’t recognize them, that’s it — you don’t recognize them. That’s all you need.”
by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com
