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Grocery store distraction (June 2005)

... the Mesquite Police Department advises thefts of purses that involves scamming the victim. They target elderly females shopping alone, in grocery or department stores. The first suspect approaches the female from behind which causes her to turn her back on her purse. The suspect then proceeds to ask for her assistance in choosing a product. At the same time, the second suspect enters the female's purse and steals her wallet, checkbook or credit cards and slips away without the female even seeing the second suspect.

After the second suspect obtains the female's belongings, the first suspect thanks the female for her help. The victim often doesn't realize her belongings have been stolen until it's time to pay for her purchase. By this time, the suspects have already charged hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars to her account. Be aware of your surroundings and ladies, keep your purses close and don't "wander" off leaving your purse in a cart!

"Working a deal" scam (June 2005)

Terri Smith of the Dallas Police advises: my contact in Richardson made me aware of another possible scam on the elderly:

An incident occurred when a male and female came to the door of an elderly female and knew the name of her daughter and the name of the owner of the house. The suspects claimed to have a "deal" working concerning the house and the elderly female let them inside. The daughter woke up while the pair were still there and stated that she did not know them; they left without incident.

Nothing happened but it sounds like the suspects were planning some sort of a scam, or possibly worse, and luckily the daughter caught them in time!

Mortgage loan fraud (May 2005)

I attended the quarterly Dallas Police Crime Watch meeting earlier this week, and our CWEB (Crime Watch Executive Board) representative, Ed Fox, said he's heard several instances of a real estate scam happening north of Beltline (and thus likely here, too). After a brief web search, I found several warnings about mortgage loan fraud, including:

• equity skimming
• property flipping
• mortgage identity related theft

Some people defend property flipping, saying that it's not illegal and is simply "creative financing", while others advise extreme caution. Briefly: property flipping is where a property is bought cheaply, minimal/cosmetic repairs performed, and the property is resold at an inflated price with the proceeds of the resale paying for the initial sale. You'll see signs such as "NO MONEY DOWN!" which should be a red flag. Homes in our neighborhood which are in foreclosure may be prime targets: BEWARE! Education and vigilance are excellent tools.

1. Google search for "loan fraud" and "no money down"
2. Congressional Testimony of Chris Swecker, October 2004
3. Real Estate Fraud Investigations Increase, December 2003
4. Don't Be A Victim Of Loan Fraud, August 2003

Fresh vegetable scam (May 2005)

On Saturday, May 28th, three people come to our home selling "fresh fruit and vegetables". They were: 1) a 35-year old woman; 2) her 13-year old "daughter"; and 3) a 25-year old man.

They were driving a 1990(ish) white Chevy(?) pickup with a missing front bumper. The lady played on my sympathy with the heat, her young daughter in tow, and wrapping herself in religious phrases ("God bless you", etc.) She said they come here every year, selling produce to our neighborhood. We moved here recently, so I bought the story!

Long story short, I bought several cases of fruit and vegetables from her at $90 per box. When I said it was expensive and we'd never eat it all, she said it would keep for the summer, "especially since it was not processed and pesticides weren't used". She was a high pressure sales person and I let my sympathy get the best of me and I let my guard down. She asked for a check and told me it would not be cashed for several months, since they were from McAllen, Texas.

When I wrote the check, they overcharged me $50 (I didn't catch that immediately). I called later that afternoon and she said she would return Sunday and exchange the check; instead, they cashed it immediately. Since then, the fruit and vegetables are mostly spoiled. I considered going after them through whatever recourse available, but the safety of my family comes first and they know where we live. This is embarrassing; I rarely fall for a scam. That said, what comes around, goes around and I am not going to worry about it, but I thought the neighbors would appreciate being "on guard".

Dallas Police Crime Watch recording

The Dallas Police (North Central substation) has a Crime Watch recording that changes periodically: 214-967-5006. This is maintained by Angie Pardue of the Dallas Police; Angie is available at 214-670-6497.

Contractor Advisory, Tue 4 April 2000

For legal reasons, we are not revealing the name of the "tree comany" or the complainant. It's just an example of what's going on around us. The homeowner's message below should be enough to put you on your guard.

"We have just been ripped off by this con artist for a job at our home where we were charged more than double for the work, and more than half has been left undone. We paid $18,600 only to have our yard torn up, debris left behind, and the job not finished.

Please be aware that this person will come to your home and profess that he is a Christian, and goes on and on about being a man of the Lord. He will be all sweetness and light, but once he has your money, he will turn on you. He starts yelling and treating you with total disrespect as a customer. He will even go so far as to give you orders on what he wants you to do.

His MO is to make you angry so that you will fire him....meanwhile he has all your money. He made the mistake of leaving his customer book at my house. I took the liberty of calling some of them, and discovered that this is not the first time this has happened. I would appreciate it if you could post a warning in your newsletter."

Always be wary of contractors that require your money before the job is finished . In fact, don't hire them.

Mon, 21 Feb 2000

The NHHA board voted to suspend the posting of crime information on this website; it will now be available only via email. To sign up, complete the form on our secure online survey page. All new (non-violent crime) information will be posted to the (new!) Scam Watch page.

Sat, 5 Feb 2000

The NHHA Board is considering not posting Crime Watch info to the website, but only to the email distribution. Please email your feedback to one/all of the NHHA Officers.

Wed, 2 Feb 2000

DPD NC Crime Watch reports a white male, going door to door, selling Crime Watch sign for $20. He takes the money but doesn't deliver the signs.

DPD NC Crime Watch reports a phone solicitation scheme, supposedly by the City of Dallas, to paint house numbers on the curb. Even if they are turned down, two black males show up the next day, supposedly to paint and collect. They become very irate when turned them down again. If they show up, we suggest you call 911.

Email Crime Watch Editor note: It's shocking to think this activity goes on so close to all of us in Northwood Hills. But we're not alone. Actually, we're very fortunate that these criminals tend to prey on targets in their own neighborhoods - mainly people living in older apartments. Kit Lane (E of Coit & S of Spring Valley), Steppington (S of Walnut Hill & W of Central Expy) and Meanderingway Way (N of LBJ) are hot spots.

Communities like Plano, University Park, and Lakewood are also surrounded by high density apartments, with many transient residents. This seems to be a breeding ground for crime. NHHA could bury its head and not highlight these outside activities unless they are in Northwood Hills proper. After all, don't we have a Dallas Police Patrol that keeps out this kind of activity? Supporters of just featuring NH lowering crime rate, not the reality around us, may be missing a lesson. "Knowlege and awareness fosters safety." How do you feel?

Advisory: Monday, December 06, 1999 5:57 PM

Outgoing mail was taken from a mailbox on or about Nov. 23 or 24 in the 6400 block of Cliffbrook. A young woman, trying to cash one of the checks, was caught when an alert bank Teller noticed an attempt to alter the Pay to section & contacted the police. Our neighbor was just letting us know so we could warn others about this situation.

It's that time of the year again ... try to be extra cautious, especially around the shopping malls. If you suspect someone is following you to your car, either flag down an officer, go back inside or simply YELL for help. Most folks are more than willing to help someone in trouble. Also be careful unloading your packages when you get home; thieves tend to prey on you when you're bundled up (both clothing and package-wise).

The following article appeared in the Summer 1999 NHHA Newsletter:

Watching out for one another is the best way to fight crime!

Stay alert and report all suspicious vehicles and/or persons by calling 911 first, and then our NHHA Patrol (for NHHA members).