Detective Supervisor Mark Castellano of the Morris County Prosecutors Office Spoke on Crimes against the Retirees and Seniors

Detective Supervisor Mark Castellano of the Morris County Prosecutors Office was introduced by Mary Anne Maloney at the May 31 Program. The speaker described several frauds that members should watch out for. Topics included email scams and identity theft. Ways to protect against criminals were presented.

Seniors who are targeted have money, are polite, trusting and reluctant to admit being duped. Scam emails are carefully crafted to sound real and to appeal to the targeted person’s emotions. The email sender asks for money with the promise of paying it back. If people receive emails like this, they should become suspicious and close examination will probably show “defects” in the email they received. People who receive this type of email should just delete it. 

If homeowners deal with contractors, they need to make sure that they are reputable. They should be registered with the state of New Jersey. Ask for written estimates and check references. Check with the municipal government regarding a contractor. Tell the contractor you will not pay more than the original estimate.

If an unsolicited call comes to your phone line from someone asking questions, be sure to give no information to the caller. It is better to just hang up on the caller.