Police Searching For 2 Men Posing As Contractors To Scam Elderly
GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ) - Police are looking for tips to catch a pair of scam artist who've been preying on the elderly in the Grand Rapids area.
Grand Rapids Police are warning residents of the recurring scam that's starting up again now that warmer weather has hit the sate.
The scam involves men who are posing as contractors and targeting the elderly. One suspect distracts the resident, police said, while the other enters the home and steals valuables — including money and jewelry.
Suspect number one is described as a white male in his 30s with an olive skin tone and a medium build. He's about 5 feet 10, to 5 feet, 11 inches tall and was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, black sweatshirt and blue jeans.
Suspect two is a younger white male, maybe in his early 20s, with a light skin tone, light hair and a thin build. He was last seen wearing a yellow sweatshirt and blue jeans.
The pair was traveling in a newer model silver or gray extended cab pickup truck.
Police are asking citizens to remind their elder family members and neighbors not to let uninvited workmen into their homes.
"If you did not hire a contractor to come to your home, please do not let anyone you do not know into your residence, unless you know them or called them to your home," police said, in a media release.
Anyone who may recognize either of the men in the sketches released by police or who has any information about these incidents is urged to call the Grand Rapids Police Department, at 616-456-3332, or the
Silent Observer anonymous tip line at 616-774-2345. Silent Observer may also be contacted, confidentially, at silentobserver.org.
If you suspect you may be the victim of a scam, call 9-1-1.