Mayfair in Tampa Palms

Elderly Scams

Apr 23, 2009

Hello New Tampa,

Major Bennett asked me to send you an email relating to a crime trend alert that we have received from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. There have been reports that a pair of Hispanic males approach elderly citizens that reside in affluent locations. These men present themselves as pest inspectors, and stress the problem of termites, etc. One of the men "accidently" sprays a solution on the elderly persons hands, and the other male rummages through jewelry in the house. Often times, they also manage to remove the jewelry during the "wiping up" of the seniors hands. This scam happens quickly, and the victims usually don't realize they have been ripped off until much later. This email simply describes one specific scam, unfortunately, there are many others that are used to exploit our seniors. Others include, but are not limited to;
Roof painting / Spraying /Repair
Overpriced Shrubbery Clean Up
Sick spouse/the need for medicine or gas
Driveway cleaning

Please "reach out" to the seniors in your neighborhood, and help TPD get the word out about possible scams and frauds. Thank You

Lisa Timmer
Neighborhood Affairs Liaison
Tampa Police Department
Uniform District Two
9330 N. 30th St
Tampa, Fl. 33612

Phone 813-931-6541
Fax 813-931-6576

Lisa.Timmer@ci.tampa.fl.us