Crime Tips for Seniors alerts you to crimes taking place in our area against seniors. If you know of such criminal activity, please send us an e-mail and tell us about it.

October 30, 2000 From the Crime Times News of the Plano Police Department, October 2000 Edition

Phone Scam

This is not a hoax. Unwary individuals (mostly the elderly) will receive mailings or phone calls telling them to call a number in one of the following area codes: 242, 246, 264, 268, 345, 441, 473, 664, 758, 767, 784, 787, 809, 868, 869, and 876.

Although the area codes themselves are not "bad," the scam certainly is. The numbers listed above actually make money for the receiving entity. The scam is that when the number is called, the caller receives an endless looping message of "busy with other callers..." which keeps them on the line. What the caller does not realize is that the dollars are adding up, FAST! When the caller finally gets fed up and hangs up, the bill is already high.

If you receive an ad from someone who wants you to dial a number to "make money" or for a prize, ask why you need to dial another number to get information that they can tell you right then.

September 7, 2000 From the Plano Police Department as a Triad Crime Prevention Tip The following information pertains to a current scam. There is a group of Travellers (a form of a gypsy group) that is stalking the area and attempting to prey on the elderly. (Travellers is their official name.) These Travellers offer to do repairs for the elderly and then charge them an extremely high price. One group hit at the 2400 block of Avenue N and charged $400.00 for minor repairs. These Travellers are known to drive nice cars or trucks with a lot of chrome on them. Please call "911" if you have someone like this who offers to do repairs for you.

If you have Crime Tips for seniors, please send us an email and tell us about them.   Last Updated on February 27, 2006