Scammers prey on seniors for several reasons. Scammers know that seniors are not as likely to report being scammed as they feel ashamed of the mistake they made. Older people like to help others, so some scam artists make up stories about being laid off or unable to find a job.

The Lewiston Police Department is aware of a number of local fraud scams targeted at the city’s elderly population. They include:

Door-to-door home repair fraud, paving, chimney repair, etc.: The scammer knocks on your door saying your driveway needs sealing. The scammer then says he will do the job, and names the price. The scammer then says he needs most of the money now as he needs to go buy more sealer. Once the payment is made the scammer may do a small amount of work and then leaves and never returns. Many of the door-to-door scammers will go to cities or towns far away from where they live.

Door-to-door home repair transient sellers must be registered with the state. The door-to-door seller must include his state registration number in the written contract, so look for that. Many of the door-to-door sellers simply don’t adhere to the law. The person hands you a card and says he or she has the required paperwork. The person uses pressure to get you to agree to the work and payment. Remember the door-to-door transient seller cannot collect more than one third of the cost of the job before getting started on the work.

Mail, telephone or Internet scams: You receive a letter in the mail or a telephone call saying you won thousands of dollars in a lottery or sweepstakes, and included in the letter is a check to cover the taxes or some other bogus fee. You deposit the check in your bank account and wire the fee out of the country. A few days later your bank contacts you saying the check was counterfeit. Now you are responsible for the repayment to the bank.

Internet phishing scam: Phishing means stealing your personal information by deception. You receive an e-mail disguising itself as your bank that needs to update your personal information. No bank will ever send you an e-mail to update your account. No matter how legitimate the messages look, never enter your personal information on the incoming e-mail.

When receiving incoming e-mail, mail and telephone calls, never give out personal information as these thieves will clean out your bank account and steal your identity. And, check your credit report often to make sure you’re not a victim of ID theft.

Lee Jones is a detective with the Lewiston Police Department. 

In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, there will be a senior resource fair at SeniorsPlus, 8 Falcon Road in Lewiston, sponsored by the Androscoggin County Elder Abuse Task Force.

The fair will last from 9 a.m. to noon.

People interested in learning more about elder abuse and the resources available to respond to and support victims of elder abuse are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be available, and door prizes will be awarded.

For more information, contact Marty McIntyre, chairwoman of the Androscoggin Elder Abuse Task Force, at 784-5272.