Friday, June 14, 2013
Home improvement and paving scams often increase this time of year, say public safety officials, but there are some simple ways to protect yourself against being a victim.
If the sales pitch offering cheap home improvement work sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. The "extra asphalt" is a lie. That’s according to law enforcement and public safety officials, who say “paving scams,” in particular, can increase during the spring and summer seasons in Massachusetts. Local law enforcement and the Commonwealth Fusion Center, which recently released a public service announcement on paving scams, say roving scamsters pose as work crews and offer to pave driveways at discounted prices – often attributing the price reduction to surplus paving materials. The rouse then branches off in one of a few directions, all of them downhill. In some cases, the conman will claim some sort of mistake was made and the …
Saturday, June 1, 2013
The scammer claims he's from the Middlesex Sheriff's Office.
The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a telephone scam in which the scammers pretend to work for the Sheriff’s Office and demand money. There have been at least two scam calls reported to the office. “We want citizens to be aware of this scam so they can properly protect themselves,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian. One person told the Sheriff’s Office that a man called and identified himself as working for the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. The caller said he was collecting on an outstanding loan and demanded the resident’s bank and credit card information or he would put the person under arrest. “These are not legitimate calls,” said Koutoujian. “Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Deputies will never demand money over …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
A Chelmsford resident and former $1 million lottery winner, Michael Santaniello has plead guilty to bilking area residents out of thousands of dollars.
The owner of a Chelmsford business and former state lottery winner has been convicted in a home heating scam that took thousands from customers from several area communities, including Lexington, many of whom were elderly. According to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, Michael Santaniello, 60, of Chelmsford, pleaded guilty in Lowell District Court to charges of larceny over $250 from a person over 60 years of age (4 counts), larceny over $250 (6 counts), larceny by check over $250, larceny over $250 by false pretenses, and failure to return leased personalty. The victims in this case are from Bedford, Billerica, Burlington Chelmsford, Lexington, Somerville, Westford and Wilmington, and police departments from all of those towns …
Friday, July 27, 2012
Chelmsford resident's alleged ruse was charging for oil tank-related work he never completed.
They say winning the Lottery can ruin people’s lives, and a Chelmsford oil company owner who allegedly scammed a Lexington customer could be the latest local example. According to the Boston Herald, Michael Santaniello, owner of Mike’s Oil Heat Service, was arrested Tuesday, July 24, and charged with scamming customers in Lexington and several nearby communities. Santaniello allegedly told victims they needed new boilers and oil tanks and took their money but never did the work. In addition to Lexington, he repeated the scam in Bedford, Burlington, Billerica and Wilmington, and had warrants for his arrests out of Concord and Lowell district courts, the Herald reported. Read More About Alleged Scams in Lexington Santaniello is charged with …
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Telephone prizes, grandchildren in trouble and imposters posing as utility workers are some of the current ruses used to target seniors, according to the Lexington Police Department.
Following a recent uptick in reports of scams targeting local seniors, police in Lexington are warning residents to think twice before wiring a $3,000 to get a grandson out of trouble. Same goes for sending money to some island to claim lottery winnings. According to Det. Brian Savage of the Lexington Police Department, recent cases of fraudulent activity in Lexington have bilked some residents out of thousands of dollars. Seniors can be especially attractive targets as they tend to be less likely to report the crimes and more likely to trust a scammer on the phone or a perp pretending to work for a local utility, according to Savage, who said recent reports include both kinds of crimes. Lexington Police have seen recent telephone scams …
42.446135
-71.223039
Lexington Police Station
1575 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
/articles/scam-artists-setting-sights-on-local-seniors
238599
/locations/6492130
Saturday, January 28, 2012
The following information from Jan. 23 to Jan. 26 was provided by the Lexington Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
Monday, Jan. 23 1 p.m. – A resident reported receiving what she thought was a suspicious phone call from a veterans organization. 3:34 p.m. – Police responded to a reported domestic dispute on Grant Street. 4:01 p.m. – Suspicious persons were reported on Maple Street. 5:27 p.m. – Officers investigated a motor vehicle accident on Pleasant Street. Tuesday, Jan. 24 10:27 a.m. – A wallet stolen during a past car-break was found in the area of Prospect Hill Road and Wachusett Drive. 12:05 p.m. – A Bank of America customer reportedly caused a disturbance inside the Mass Ave branch after being denied the ability to cash a check for refusing to comply with bank policy. 2:31 p.m. – A vehicle reportedly struck a parked car and a pedestrian on Mass …
42.446135
-71.223039
Lexington Police Station
1575 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
/articles/police-log-possible-scams-and-sharp-dressed-man-steals-vodka
238599
/locations/6265719
Friday, January 27, 2012
According to the Lexington Police Department, three of this week’s calls reporting suspicious activity sounded like they could have been 'gypsy scams.' Members of the LPD offered a few red flags -- add your own scam signals using the comments box below.
If the solicited work sounds too good to be true, then it probably is, police said this week following several familiar sounding reports of suspicious activity around town. The morning of Wednesday, Jan. 25, a Massachusetts Avenue resident reported four men came to her door offering to pave her driveway, insinuating the work would be part of a nearby town job but she’d have to pay for it. The following morning, Thursday, Jan. 26, a Westwood Road resident reported two men came to her door claiming to be from a tree company her husband contracted to take down a few trees near powerlines in the backyard. The woman confirmed her husband did not contract the work and called the police. Police also received a report of an individual claiming to…
42.446135
-71.223039
Lexington Police Station
1575 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
/articles/lpd-keep-an-eye-out-for-gypsy-scams
238599
/locations/6268769
Friday, October 7, 2011
The following information from Oct. 3 to Oct. 6 was provided by the Lexington Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
Monday, Oct. 3 7:16 a.m. – Animal control was notified about an injured raccoon unable to walk in the area of Taylor Lane and Revere Street. 10 a.m. – Officers received a report of an attempted fraud on Vine Brook Road. 11:07 a.m. – A street sign was reported missing from Grove Street and Volunteer Way. 2:07 p.m. – Officers checked out a report of a suspicious person on Fairland Street. 3:33 p.m. – Police received a report of a burglary on North Street. 6:28 p.m. – Officers investigated a motor vehicle accident at Bedford Street and Harrington Road. Tuesday, Oct. 4 12:13 a.m. – A juvenile runaway was reported from Philip Road. 9:36 a.m. – Officers investigated a motor vehicle accident on Waltham Street. 10:34 a.m. – A bicycle was …
42.446135
-71.223039
Lexington Police Station
1575 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
/articles/police-log-attempted-fraud-and-b-and-es
238599
/locations/5546348
Friday, September 9, 2011
The following information from Sept. 6 to Sept. 8 was provided by the Lexington Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
Tuesday, Sept. 6 5:11 a.m. – A call came in reporting a wire down on Wood Street. 11:30 a.m. – Lexington Police dispatched mutual aid to Woburn, where shots were fired after a jewelry heist gone bad in the Four Corners area. First responders from town participated in the active search for suspects, while others set up a perimeter on the Lexington side of the scene, police said. 4:15 p.m. – A librarian reported a suspicious male on the second floor of Cary Memorial Library was acting strangely and staring at young women. He was described as a middle aged white male wearing a tan T-shirt. The man left before police arrived on the scene, but officers are looking into the incident. 6:21 p.m. – A Lowell Street resident reported the house was …
42.446135
-71.223039
Lexington Police Station
1575 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
/articles/police-log-possible-scams-and-aid-to-woburn
238599
/locations/5313174
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Tips to protect yourself against becoming a victim.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Sunday, August 7, 2011
In light of recent scams targeting elderly residents of Lexington and several surrounding communities, Det. Brian Savage of the Lexington Police Department has provided the following information to help residents avoid becoming victims. Lexington and many surrounding towns have recently been targeted by scam artists preying on the elderly. Recent cases of fraudulent activity in Lexington have cost some residents thousands of dollars. Senior citizens make attractive targets to scam artists for a variety of reasons: Some recent cases we have seen in Lexington include several different varieties of telephone scams, as well as scams involving perpetrators pretending to work for a local utility company (gas company, electric company, tree …
42.446135
-71.223039
Lexington Police Station
1575 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA
/articles/lpd-advice-for-avoiding-elder-scams
238599
/locations/5028200
Edwin Flynn
8:59 am on Sunday, June 2, 2013
This company had my name, address, and my phone number. The caller claimed that I took out a loan some 26 months ago and I needed to pay it off already. I had never applied for anything. Hung up on me when I told him that the call was creepy and not wanted. I got the caller's phone number and reported it to http://www.callercenter.com to raise a warning. more ›