Toilet paper scammers flushed out

[Playinghardball]

Source: MSN

Con artists convinced elderly people they needed special toilet paper and other products to meet new government rules for septic tanks.

This would be comical if it weren't so nefarious: Scammers in South Florida convinced elderly victims they needed to buy special toilet paper and other products to meet new government standards for septic tanks. (Preying on the elderly deserves a special place in the underworld, in my book.)

"Through this scheme, some elderly customers were defrauded into purchasing more than 70 years worth of toilet paper," says a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office of South Florida.

The Miami Herald reports, "Prosecutors said the company scammed about $1 million from more than a dozen victims from across the country."

Read more and see the video at: http://money.msn.com/family-money/article.aspx?post=c585dab8-5a06-4b22-8937-56622f0acaa9


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A paper caper?

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. 70 years worth of toilet paper?

[saras]

4. Old people forget they already bought stuff, but remember that they liked you.

[Liberal In Texas]

6. Believe me, if I bought my 86 yr. old mother 70 years worth of TP

it would only last about 3 months.

Lordy, she goes through a lot of the stuff.

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. LOL! n/t

[gratuitous]

2. But let's end social security

Because nobody would ever be buffaloed into gambling away their life savings by some flim-flam artist. And if they are, it's their own fault, and let 'em starve in the streets for getting duped.

Elderly folks are specially marked by the lowest of the low for their scams and schemes. Some fast talking, a little pressure, and a mark who may not be 100% there mentally, and voila! Money for the taking. A million bucks from "more than a dozen victims." That's a pretty good return.

[dipsydoodle]

3. This sounds similar

to the old carbon paper frauds of the mid sixties.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

5. If you are elderly... why buy 70 years worth of toilet paper?

I could see an old person buying 5, 10... maybe 15 years of TP. But not 70.
I mean, what are they thinking? ... That they're going to live *another* 70 years ?!?

[donco]

7. Alzheimer’s

[pipi_k]

9. The article didn't exactly say, but...

I'm thinking that the scammers didn't really tell them they were buying 70 years' worth of toilet paper...just that they sold them enough toilet paper to LAST 70 years.


PS...I had to laugh at a post above where someone said their elderly mom goes through toilet paper at an alarming rate...

We do at my house,too.

If I didn't know better, I would think someone is eating the stuff.

[mindwalker_i]

8. No Shit?

70 years worth... those guys were definitely on a roll! They can certainly ply their trade, but now they're probably wiped out.

[unionworks]

10. wiped out? n/t