Rhode Island
Home Improvement Scam Targets Elderly Resident In Narragansett: Police
NARRAGANSETT, RI — Narragansett police have issued a warning to residents about a recent report of a home improvement scam.
On Monday, an elderly resident called Narragansett police about a potential home improvement scam. The resident told officers three men requested a cash down payment for home improvement work, and the workers only completed a small amount of work before leaving and never returning.
Police said this type of scam is common and often targets seniors. The targeted homes are typically in need of legitimate repairs. The scammers then contact the homeowners and introduce themselves as construction workers who are looking to help families with repair and construction projects related to foundations, masonry, chimneys and roofing. Once the cash is handed over, the laborers do a minimal amount of work and do not return to the home to complete the project.
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Narragansett Police Chief Sean Corrigan said similar scams have also occurred in other cities and towns in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
“We urge our residents to be cautious in lieu of the recent home improvement scams preying on our elderly,” Corrigan said. “Stay vigilant, verify contractors, and report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood. Together we can protect our community from these deceitful practices.”
The Narragansett Police Department offered the following safety tips from the Federal Trade Commission to prevent becoming a victim of scams.
Find out what’s happening in Narragansett-South Kingstownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Consider only contractors who are licensed and insured.
- Ask the contractor for proof of insurance.
- Get contractor recommendations from people you know and trust.
- Search online for the company’s name with words like “scam,” “review,” or “complaint.”
- Read customer reviews to find out more about the contractor, and use online rating websites you trust to see what others are saying about the contractor.
- Get multiple estimates. A written estimate should include a description of the work to be done, materials, completion date, and the price. Don’t automatically choose the lowest bidder. And ask for an explanation if there’s a big difference among the estimates.
- Don’t pay the full amount for the project up front.
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The Rhode Island Blood Center is asking for donations after the fatal shooting at Brown University on Saturday.
Several donor centers have extended hours available as they respond to the emergency.
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Anyone interested can sign up for an appointment on the organization’s website.
PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Blood Center’s blood supply was low before Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University, and it is immediately stepping up blood drives to meet the need, an official said Sunday.
“We were definitely dealing with some issues with inventory going into the incident,” Executive Director of Blood Operations Nicole Pineault said.
The supply was especially low for Type 0 positive and negative, which are often needed for mass casualty incidents, she said. Type 0 negative is considered the “universal” red blood donor, because it can be safely given to patients of any blood type.
Pineault attributed the low supply to weather, illness, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. With more people working from home, blood drives at office buildings are smaller, and young people — including college students — are not donating blood at the same rate as they did in the past, she said.
“There are a lot challenges,” she said.
But people can help by donating blood this week, Pineault said, suggesting they go to ribc.org or contact the Rhode Island Blood Center at (401) 453-8383 or (800) 283-8385.
The donor room at 405 Promenade St. in Providence is open seven days a week, Pineault said. Blood drives were already scheduled for this week at South Street Landing in Providence and at Brown Physicians, and the blood center is looking to add more blood drives in the Providence area this week, she said.
“It breaks my heart,” Pineault said of the shooting. “It’s a terrible tragedy. We run blood dives regularly on the Brown campus. Our heart goes out to all of the victims and the staff. We want to work with them to get the victims what they need.”
She said she cannot recall a similar mass shooting in Rhode Island.
“In moments of tragedy, it’s a reminder to the community how important the blood supply really is,” Pineault said. “It’s an easy way to give back, to help your neighbors, and be ready in unfortunate situations like this.”
The Rhode Island Blood Center has donor centers in Providence, Warwick, Middletown, Narragansett, and Woonsocket, and it has mobile blood drives, she noted.
On Sunday, the center’s website said “Donors urgently needed. Hours extended at some donor centers, 12/14.”
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
Authorities said two people were killed and eight more were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University, an Ivy League school in Rhode Island. Authorities said students were on campus for the second day of final exams.
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