PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Springtime means a rise in scams, which tend to target elderly citizens. Illinois Central College’s North Campus is holding a 2-day seminar, hosted by the Gryphon Training Group, educating attendees about what to watch out for when it comes to these crimes.
“It’s their business, that’s what they do, rip off people, and they prey on the elderly, so what we’re doing is having a class from a gentleman that is an expert in this field, dealing with all different groups of scammers throughout the country,” said Brian Fengel, the Director for the Central Illinois Police Training Center.
There are several types of scams that scammers employ, and among the most popular are home repairs and ruse entry. Home repair scams happen when con artists convince homeowners of something wrong with their property, then get paid for shoddy work. Ruse entry is when a criminal lures a homeowner outside while an accomplice sneaks inside and steals items.
The teacher of the seminar and President and Owner of Gryphon Training Group, Gary Nolte, mentioned that the elderly can be an easy target. They are the wealthiest age group on average and are generally vulnerable to scams.
“Why would you steal from anybody else, it was estimated years ago that people over 65 control 80% of the liquid assets in this country, they’re a big target, 97% of the time, we estimate,” Nolte said.
If you do have legitimate concerns about home repair work, Nolte recommended going to a Lowe’s or Home Depot for their insight.
