OMAR — Members of the Omar Area Crime Watch have been meeting with elderly residents in their community and warning them about routine scams and tactics used by criminals and con artists to prey upon them.

In recent months, several senior citizens have been robbed by alleged thieves who apparently took advantage of being inside the homes of the elderly to take money from their victims.

Many of these crimes against the elderly are happening across the county, but sometimes they do not get reported to the police by the victims who are often too embarrassed to admit they were scammed.

Larry Rogers, president of the OACW, said he learned about some of the tactics used by thieves years ago when he and other Logan County watch group volunteers attended the "Refuse to be a Victim" seminars in other counties and brought the seminars to Logan.

"One of the things we learned was that thieves and con artists will try to gain entry to a home and when inside will attempt petit larceny type crimes such as stealing purses, wallets or easily concealed valuables," Rogers said. "Often, they will knock on the door and they will ask the homeowner to use the bathroom or for a glass of water and this gives them entry to the home where they are actually looking for items to steal."

Other times thieves and con men will pretend they have a service they can provide and will use the opportunity to steal or ripoff the elderly, Rogers said

According to Rogers, one recent incident involved just such a case, and it happened not far from the OACW's headquarters.

"This person claimed they would do work for the victim and when they left, the victim's wallet was missing," Rogers said. "It wasn't the first time something like this happened in Logan County in recent months. We know of another case where a con artist knocked on the door of an elderly man’s house, asked to have a drink of water and later the elderly gentleman’s wallet was missing. These kinds of things do happen."

Rogers said one reason why thieves prey upon the elderly is that many of them don't trust banks and keep valuables at home. Rogers said one elderly crime victim was found murdered in his home, which was known to be a depository of rare collectibles and other valuables. To date no arrest has been made in that homicide case.

"Many of our elderly folks lived through the Great Depression when banks went under and they keep their valuables or cash at home," Rogers said. "This is a bad idea, because it can turn into a jackpot for a criminal. This is why the elderly need to be extra careful to not let strangers in their homes. "

In some cases, thieves may be hoping to find powerful pain medications in the medicine cabinets of elderly homeowners, Rogers said. Con artists often pick the elderly to swindle with fake roofing and paving scams during warm months. Usually, they claim to have left over items from a roofing or paving job nearby and that they can use to do work on the victim's residence for a fraction of the regular cost and, after they get paid, they skip town.

West Logan Police Chief Robert Ward agrees with Rogers. He has had to handle recent cases involving criminals who targeted the elderly.

Ward said when a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is and that people should always ask for proof that somebody claiming to be a contractor is the real deal. The best way to avoid being taken is to use common sense.

"Ask to see their business license," Ward said. "Most con men don't have one."

Ward said in the modern world, it is a bad idea to let strangers in a house because they may actually be trying to case a home to rob it later.

"If they say they have to use your bathroom, refer them to a convenience store with public facilities. If they want to use the phone, don't even let them in. Tell them to give you the number and you will call somebody for them," Ward said.

The OACW will be meeting every Tuesday in July to plan for the National Nite Out celebration which shows support for victims’ rights across the nation.

"We have to get going on that and we are asking local businesses to help with sponsorships," Rogers said. "We are also doing a fundraiser to help with expenses by selling an Omar Throw.”