Kane, McHenry report crews of bandits targeting the elderly

BY DAVE GATHMAN

Nygren [Sheriff McHenry County] said the Travelers who have been hitting McHenry County typically drive “impeccably clean pickup trucks with out-of-state plates,” often from Wisconsin.

The criminal gypsies, the sheriff said, more often will arrive with pickup trucks with sealcoating equipment in back and offer to sealcoat a resident’s driveway.

“One price is often given at the estimate time, but when the job is complete, you are told that you owe more money,” Nygren said.

Or rather than genuine sealcoating material, the substance used will turn out to be something like used motor oil that washes off in the first rain…..

 

Kane County Sheriff’s Lt. Kevin Williams has no doubt that the same groups operating in McHenry are part of the scam artists the sheriff’s office has seen in northern Kane County recently.

Williams said last year these groups pretended to be city or water workers, getting into homes by claiming they needed to do an inspection. This year, the groups have been approaching senior citizens who are in their yard or garage, Williams said. The person will claim to be a Realtor or someone who needs to inspect the property lines, then lead the resident to the backyard.

“The ruse is just to get them out of the way so they go in and burglarize the house,”

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