June 20, 2015
Woman, 77, loses life savings in scam; suspect posed as disabled policeman
A 51-year-old man posing as a injured police officer doing handyman work because he needed money for a sick wife and son wiped out a widow’s life savings during a 10-month scam, Buffalo police say.
And detectives are urging others to come forward if they believe they, too, were defrauded.
Kevin Andrews of Michigan Avenue approached the 77-year-old Warwick Avenue resident last year, offering to perform handyman jobs. In order to gain the woman’s trust, Anderson told her that he was a Buffalo police officer injured on duty and awaiting the start of his disability checks, police officials said.
Going by the alias of Anthony Davis and claiming to also live on Warwick, Andrews told the woman his Florida-based health insurance did not cover “mandatory medication†for his wife and that his 13-year-old son suffered from a rare illness requiring medical treatment he was unable to pay for, according to Northeast District police.
No one knew about Andrews’ scam until the woman called her daughter in a panic Monday, urging her to stop by with $40. The daughter and her husband arrived, and the mother told them how she was helping Anthony Davis.
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