Meat Goes Pricey

By Alissa Coschigano

The idea of the holidays is to give rather than to receive, spread cheer wherever possible and be thankful for all that we have. Why then, is it that the day after Thanksgiving, a scam was presented of door-to-door robbery of money. Two men in Hopewell Junction solicited a 91 year old woman by selling frozen meat out of their refridgerated truck. What was originally a $35 sale, was billed to her as a $600 sale. The salesmen gave her a brochure but no receipt for her purchase. Lt. Kevin Keefe of the East Fishkill police states "during the holiday season, credit card use is at its highest and overcharges or frauds can be easily overlooked or not discovered for weeks." To avoid these incidents, the Poughkeepsie Journal gives these tips:

• Get everything in writing. If you are interested in purchasing from a door-to-door salesperson, first get the price, warranty and all conditions on paper.

• Ask for proper identification before listening to a sales pitch.

• Be careful about letting a salesperson into your home. (Local police have said this can be a tactic used by criminals to case a location for a potential burglary.)


Send in the holiday spirit!