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January 28, 2009
SCAMS ARE EVERYWHERE
This past weekend my daughter called to me and said, “Dad, come and look at this apartment I found!”. She had gone on Craigslist and found an apartment in Boston on 21 Beacon Street.
The apartment came furnished, included a 52 inch high definition television, and of course stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Not to mention the 1 car garage that came with it. This 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment was listed for $900 per month. The woman’s ad said she was in London and wanted to rent the property as soon as possible.
I was skeptical. A luxury furnished apartment, with all utilities included for $900? I went to the online Suffolk County Registry of Deeds website and tried to find out who the owner was. Dead end. We Googled 21 Beacon Street and found a telephone number for the 21 Beacon Street Condominium Trust. When she called, she found out that there are no 2 bedroom apartments in the building and that the few units that are for rent go for about $1,000 per week. She was disappointed but at least we did not loose any money.
The Southern Essex County Registry of Deeds website has issued a warning for unsuspecting renters based upon a Salem Evening News article where a man rented out an apartment that did not belong to him. He was a tenant who was being evicted, but before leaving, managed to advertise and rent the apartment to several other unsuspecting individuals, and ran off with their money.
My advice is, before you rent an apartment, find out who the owner is. Check the registry of deeds either online or in person. Ask the police. Go to the Town Hall and find out who they mail the tax bills to. Don’t give your hard earned money to a stranger, even if they have the keys to the apartment.
So what other scams are out there? There are lots of them. A recent one that has been receiving some publicity is aimed at senior citizens and is done by telephone.
It works like this, you are at home and you get a telephone call from someone that you think is your grandchild. They explain to you that they are in Canada and have either been arrested or had an auto accident and need some money to be wired to them.
They trick the seniors by saying something like, “It’s your favorite grandchild calling.” The unsuspecting grandparent will guess at the most likely grandchild and the telephone call will go on from there. The Maryland Better Business Bureau reported that one grandmother send the scammers $15,000 to help a grandchild that had supposedly gotten into a car accident.
Experts recommend verifying these type stories with other family members and trying to call the grandchild, or their parents, directly to find out what the truth is. Any time that you are requested to wire money to a loved one, it should raise a “red flag” that this could be a scam.
This article gives general information and not specific advice on individual matters. Persons wanting individualized advice on matters discussed should contact an advisor experienced in those matters. To the extent this article provides information on legal matters, it is based on law in effect in Massachusetts on the date of posting (laws in effect in other states are often quite different).
Ronald H. Surabian is a CPA and attorney who works at the Elder Law Center in Saugus, Massachusetts. He also holds Masters in accounting and a Masters in tax law. He currently serves as the President of the Friends of the Saugus Senior Center and is an active member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. If you have any questions, please call me at the Elder Law Center, One Essex Street, Saugus, MA 01906 (781)233-4444. To view this or any prior article, please visit our web site at www.elderlawcenter.org