Gaston County warns of property scam targeting elderly homeowners

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Officials in Gaston County are warning residents about a new scam that is targeting elderly homeowners.

The Gaston County Building and Development Services Department said it has gotten several calls from homeowners who say they received an envelope with a yellow card inside stating there are “housing and safety violations on the property.”

One person who received a yellow card said he got a phone call from someone a few days later trying to buy his home.

“All of the recipients have been elderly people, and it’s scaring them,” Laura Hamilton, Land Use Coordinator for Gaston County, said. “We are hoping this is not a precursor to people physically going around after they have scared them and then trying to scam money out of them.”

For many seniors like Clyde Beaver their home means the world to them.

“If I have to ever leave this house, I don’t know what I would do,” Beaver.

Officials said the cards have a Charlotte post office postmark, but there is no identification of who is sending them or contact information on the card.

“All communication from our office is on letterhead, along with our contact information,” Building and Development Services Director Brian Sciba said. “Before we would send out anything certified mail, the owner would have been in personal contact with one of our field inspectors, for something of this magnitude.”

Better Business Bureau said they have seen scams using notices like that before.

Tom Bartholomy with the BBB said someone looking to take advantage of you can find you name, address and phone number online.

“All that is just publicly available information,” Bartholomy said.

With a few questions your identity and your home are easy targets.

“Get more pieces for the identify thief puzzle or to just steal your money,” Bartholomy said.

County officials said they would never send notices a notice like this to you.

“We send certified mail. We also have a door knocker with our information,” Laura Hamilton with Gaston County Building and Permits said.

If you received one of these notices, officials said do not worry about it and throw it away.

If you have questions, call Laura Hamilton at Gaston County Building and Development Services at 704-866-3090 or 704-866-3367.

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