Palos Park Cop Shares 5 Classic Cons

PALOS PARK, IL -- Palos Park police officers are offering their services to help residents, particularly older residents, to avoid being conned. Residents with concerns about offers, transactions or sounds-too-good-to-be-true opportunities, please stop, think and assess. After you’ve done that, call the Palos Park Police Department. Police would much rather be on the front end of a possible scam than after the fact.

Palos Park investigator Diana Campbell spends a great deal of her time working with the Illinois State Police Ruse Burglary Task Force, comprised of state troopers and local law enforcement. The task force has spent years dealing with the many cons and scams that clever criminals use and monitor new emerging scams.

Campbell asks everyone to think about: “What would you say if someone …”

• Called on the phone and offered a free gift, just for allowing them to verify your credit card number and expiration date?
• Showed up at your door and quoted a bargain price on repairing the roof or sealing the driveway "because the materials were left over from a big job in the neighborhood?"
• Tried to sell you extra health insurance, claiming that your present policy and Medicare will not cover nursing home care?

The investigator recommends these snappy comebacks:

• "I have to check with the police department or Better Business Bureau first."
• "No, thank you."
• "I want to think it over for a few days."
• "I need to talk to my family and my lawyer before I decide."

According Campbell, here a few of the “classic” cons:

Pigeon Drop
Two strangers tell you they have found a large sum of money or other valuables. They tell you they will split the good fortune with you if everyone involved puts up "good faith" money. You turn over your cash, and you never see your money or the helpful strangers again.

Bank Examiner
A so-called bank official asks for your help to catch a dishonest teller. He or she asks you to withdraw money from your account and turn it over so he or she can check the serial numbers. You do and you get a receipt, but your cash is gone. No legitimate bank official would ever ask you to withdraw your money.

Pyramid Scheme
Someone offers you a painless way to make money. You invest a certain amount and solicit others to do the same. They then solicit others, and so on, like a chain letter. This is the pyramid scheme. Sometimes the initial investors are paid a small dividend, but when the pyramid crashes--and it always does--everyone loses, except the person at the top who has skimmed off the money and never invested it.

Funeral Chaser
Shortly after the death of a relative, someone delivers a leather-bound Bible that your deceased relative allegedly ordered. Or you get a bill in the mail for an expensive item on which you must make the payments. The funeral chaser uses obituary notices to prey on bereaved families. Remember, you are not responsible for anyone else's purchases, and all legitimate claims will be settled by the estate.

Bargains that Aren't Bargains
A "free" inspection uncovers needed repairs that will cost thousands of dollars. Or a contractor comes to your home and offers a special half-price deal on a roof because he has extra materials from another job. These are favorite tricks of dishonest firms or individuals who victimize homeowners.

To protect yourself from becoming victim of a scam, police over these preventative steps:

• Always get several estimates for any major work, and don't be pressured into a one-day-only offer
• Ask for references and check them. Verify that the reference names, addresses and phone numbers are legitimate. They could give you the phone number of their friend
• Get a written contract and make sure that you understand the provisions
• Never pay for work in advance
• Withhold payment until the job is complete
• Pay by check, not cash