Lexington Police Log: Fraud and Suspicious Activity

The following incidents, selected from the Lexington Police Department logs, occurred during the week prior to March 27, 2023.

Community Relations

Wednesday, March 22 at 9:50 a.m., a Bedford Street resident installed a car seat prior to arriving at the police station. An officer checked the installation, and it passed all inspections. He also demonstrated how to adjust the seat as a child grows. 

Tuesday, March 21 at 12:30 p.m., an officer attended and participated in an active threat training program, sponsored by the Combined Jewish Philanthropes, at Temple Isaiah. 

Saturday, March 25 at 9 a.m., an officer assisted with security for an event occurring at Temple Emunah.

Larceny

Monday, March 20 at 12:35 p.m., a call came in reporting a shoplifting incident at Wilson Farm on Pleasant Street. Officers responding to the call spoke with the mother of the juveniles involved. She paid for the goods taken and received a No Trespass Order. The No Trespass Order and copy of the receipt for the goods are on file with the Police Department.

Monday, March 20 at 1:20 p.m.,a security officer from the Cambridge Savings Bank at 1781 Mass Ave called asking to speak with a police officer regarding a past theft at one of the bank’s ATM machines.

Suspicious Activity – Persons

Thursday, March 23 at 9 p.m., a Lincoln Street resident called to report suspicious activity at 55 Lincoln Street that occurred the evening of March 22. This resident informed police he had video of an individual walking around and taking photos on Temple Isaiah’s property. The responding officer reports a male in his 40s or 50s with a ponytail, wearing glasses and a headband. He wore a dark colored jacket, pants, and boots and was parked in the side parking lot near a dumpster at approximately 9:30 p.m. He left his vehicle and walked around the building for approximately 30 minutes. He left in the same vehicle at approximately 10 p.m. heading in the direction of the Hayden Ice Rink. Only a custodian was on site at the time and had no interaction with this individual who drove a gray, four-door sedan. 

Nothing was reported missing or damaged. A request for cruiser checks was made, and this resident provided video from his surveillance camera. He will also send this video to the Combined Jewish Philanthropies to check if any other temples recognize this individual.

Animal Control 

Tuesday, March 21 at 10:45 a.m., a Meriam Street resident contacted the Animal Control Officer to report a cat stuck in a tree. The ACO then reported that the Animal Rescue League would respond to the call.

Wednesday March 22nd at 6:13 a.m., a Grove Street resident called to report that he had heard a “bang” then noticed a deer had been struck by a vehicle that had left the area. The responding officer reported the deer was put down with two rounds and moved to the side of the road for DPW pickup.

Thursday, March 23 at 3:20 a.m., a Woburn Street resident reported a loose dog in the area. The responding officer and this resident were able to safely capture the dog and place it in the back of the cruiser. The dog was transported to the Lexington Animal Shelter and given water. Later, the dog was taken to the veterinary office on Bedford Street for a chip read. The veterinarian didn’t have the dog owner’s information but was able to provide the chip number that lead to Free Pet Chip Registry- 911. A message was left with this company, and the ACO was notified.

Fraud

Tuesday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m., a Wood Street resident came into the station to report he had received a letter from the Massachusetts Unemployment Department about an unemployment claim. This resident had not applied for benefits, and an unknown person had utilized this resident’s personal information to collect benefits. This is part of an active scam that has targeted numerous states. He was advised that this is on record with the Police Department, and he should go onto the Mass.gov website and fill out the fraud form regarding this scam. The Unemployment Department of Massachusetts is aware of this scam and has their own fraud department dealing with these cases.

Thursday, March 23 at 3:10 p.m., a Trotting Horse Drive resident reported she had received a letter from the Massachusetts Unemployment Department in regard to an unemployment claim. An unknown individual had used her personal information to collect benefits. 

Friday, March 24 at 3:10 p.m., a Hartwell Avenue resident reported that a person posing as an employee from Gordian Ventures called regarding a fraudulent invoice received and that $20,000 was paid to a fake account. The officer spoke to this resident who stated a month ago someone hacked into an employee’s e-mail account and obtained company information. The unknown suspect originally tried to deposit $55,000. Gordian Ventures was able to recover $35,000 from Wells Fargo. They are in the process of obtaining the other $20,000 from the other bank involved. This resident will have someone from the finance department reach out to provide whatever documentation is needed at this point to move forward.

Friday, March 25 at 8 a.m., a Clematis Road resident reported a paving scam. King’s Seal Paving Masonry of Burlington came to their home on March 24. They drove a rental pickup truck and offered to sealcoat the driveway for $2,200. This resident agreed and paid $2,200 in cash to Charlie Quinn from King’s Seal. They completed the job and provided a receipt for the work. This resident was unhappy with the work done, but Charlie’s contact number was disconnected.

Saturday, March 26 at 3:25 p.m., a Wheeler Road resident’s son-in-law reported that the resident was the victim of a contractor scam. On Friday, March 24, two men came to the house to propose a work order for her chimney. They were operating a “white, work van with an unknown logo peeling off the driver’s side and possibly rust on the passenger side rear bumper.” These men provided an invoice from Combustion Maintenance located at 101 Arch Street, Boston with a contact phone number: 1-800-339-0332. The men allegedly completed the work that day and collected a check for $4,500 written from her Bank of America account. She and her family blocked the transaction immediately upon discovery that this contractor’s work was a scam. A check of the neighborhood was conducted for home security cameras and 2 Wheeler Road residents had home security cameras, but no surveillance related to this incident. A call was placed to Combustion Maintenance’s phone number and there was no answer. A voicemail requesting a call back was left. A search of Combustion Maintenance showed no results. A search of 101 Arch Street, Boston 02110 showed a parking garage in the city of Boston. 

*Suggestions from AARP’s Fraud Prevention Checklist from April 2022 issue of the AARP Bulletin. During the next few weeks, I’ll provide simple fraud prevention tips from this checklist. The AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline is a free service. Call: 877-908-3360 to speak with a trained fraud specialist.

Tip 4: Clean Your Wallet. 

“Prune to the bare essentials, like your driver’s license, a single debit and credit card, a bus pass or whatever else you need from day-to-day. You can always add items back in for shopping trips. Remember: extra credit or debit cards, Medicare or Social Security cards, photos and such put your identity at risk if stolen.”

The Lexington Police Department updates its incident log on Monday mornings. LexObserver coverage represents a sampling of significant incidents and is not an exhaustive list. The full log can be viewed publicly at: https://www.lexingtonma.gov/489/Weekly-Police-Logs.