Senior citizens fall prey to unlikely scam artists
Livonia police search for mother, daughter cons

By Joel Kurth / The Detroit News 2/17/02

LIVONIA -- They came with wide grins and helpful hands. They left with, police fear, wads of seniors' cash.

Livonia police have widened their investigation of a mother and daughter who police allege took $200,000 or more from at least a half-dozen Metro Detroit residents. The suspects' time-worn technique: pretend to be pals with lonely, trusting men, then rob them repeatedly.

Wayne County prosecutors last week issued felony warrants for the Livonia pair, who are 49 and 26. But so far they've eluded arrest, said Livonia Lt. Ben McDermott. More charges are likely as the probe widens. Police have not released their names.

"They'd say they'd come over to clean these men's house, but the only cleaning they did was out of the drawers where they kept the money," McDermott said. "These people were easily confused and believed their stories because of age, loneliness or their medical conditions."

The victims are hardly the only ones to be taken in by grifters with kind words and criminal motives. Gearing up for spring -- traditionally the worst season for scams -- Metro Detroit police agencies increasingly are spreading the word to protect seniors.

Hard numbers aren't available about the impact of senior fraud in southeastern Michigan, but a recent FBI report estimated that about 14,000 illegal telemarketing operations bilk residents of $40 billion annually -- and half the victims are 50 or older.

Michigan consumers file complaints about telemarketing more than any other industry, according to state Atty. Gen. Jennifer Granholm's office. The agency gets about 2,300 telemarketing complaints each year, far outpacing such standbys as fraudulent repairs and used cars.
"You get targeted because you're older," said Gene Hildebrandt, 77, a retired engineer from Farmington Hills who carves wood at the Livonia Senior Center.

"Fortunately, my wife and I still have our faculties, but others aren't so lucky and don't think quite as quickly and don't realize that not everyone who's calling you wants to help."

Hildebrandt is scrupulous about avoiding scams: He never gives out his credit-card numbers unless he initiated the call, cuts telemarketers off quickly and shreds all receipts before discarding them.
Hoping more people will act like Hildebrandt, police and other agencies are encouraging seniors to fight back:

* In Wayne County, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has numerous "fraud fighters" led by Dearborn Heights resident Irma Swanter who regularly visits senior centers with tips. Last year, the AARP contacted more than 3,300 seniors. The county sheriff's department, meanwhile, has long had a crime-prevention senior program that targets scammers.

* In Macomb County, law-enforcement agencies, seniors and advocates last year teamed up to form a group called Triad to coordinate efforts to cut down on crimes against seniors.

"There are scams that go on throughout society, but seniors seem to be the most vulnerable," said Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel. "Many don't have the assistance of family members, and they're very giving people. Unfortunately, that can make them targets."
Sheriff's deputies also have distributed about 350 cellular phones for free to the elderly since November and were at it again Friday, giving away dozens at the Washington Township Senior Center.

* The Oakland County community of South Lyon has a similar program. Launched by police late last year, the "Cells for Seniors" program so far has given away about 100 donated phones to the elderly.

* Statewide, the AARP and Granholm's office combined forces last week to phone about 2,500 seniors to warn them about unscrupulous telemarketers and notify them of their legal recourses if they're wronged.

"This is the No. 1 complaint we get," said Bill Knox, AARP's Michigan spokesman. "We've been working for years to try to stop telemarketing fraud that preys on retirees who are home."

Money is recovered

Back in Livonia, police have recovered almost $130,000 from a safety-deposit box owned by the alleged con artists -- but have no delusions they've recovered all the money they took.

The mother-daughter team operated a classic confidence game, McDermott said. He alleged: They'd meet elderly people, befriend them for sometimes more than a year, then come calling with a sob stories about how they needed money for an emergency surgery or to bury their father.
Other times, they would just show up unannounced at victims' houses, pretending they were old friends. Some of the victims -- three of whom were from Livonia, one from Dearborn Heights and two from Detroit -- suffered from conditions such as cerebral palsy or dementia.

"One guy got taken for $66,000 over a period of time. Over and over again, they kept hitting him up for money for an operation," McDermott said. "They basically do this for a living. They're very good at it."
A search of the suspects' Inkster Road home recovered $8,000 in cash in a bed and a new Corvette believed to have been financed through scams.
So far, the couple has been charged with one count apiece of larceny under false pretenses of more than $20,000, a 10-year felony. The older suspect also has been charged with being a habitual offender, which could add five years to the sentence.

Other, similar charges are likely in the coming weeks, McDermott said.
"It's tough. Sometimes, people are so trusting," he said. "Family members have to keep abreast of their relatives' activities and, if possible, their financial accounts."

You can reach Joel Kurth at (313) 561-8623 or jkurth@ detnews.com.