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Attorney General Mike DeWine - Home Repair Scam Indictments Announced
 
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Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announces indictments in a Central Ohio home repair scam that targeted elderly victims and scammed them out of more than $100,000. A few of the suspects indicted were involved in a similar scam and convicted more than a decade ago as part of the "Circleville 30" investigation.

These scammers preyed on people mostly in their 80's and 90's. The suspects typically would approach a homeowner with a story about something that needed to be fixed like a roof or chimney. The homeowner would agree to the work, only to learn later the bill was much higher than expected and little or no work was performed. Sometimes the suspects would approach a homeowner declaring they'd already fixed the issue on the home (without permission), and they were owed money for the work.

After the payment check was written, the suspects would return later saying they'd overcharged the homeowner. They'd ask for a second check to be written, assuring the homeowner that they hadn't cashed the first check when, in fact, they had. The suspects pulled the check story scam over and over. One 89-year-old woman wrote 14 checks totaling $23,400. One 86-year-old man lost nearly $50,000 writing 29 checks.
April 15, 2013