A WOMAN who shelled out $18,000 for a driveway repair only to see cracks erupting the next day has uncovered the disturbing truth behind the makeover.
Katherine Pilkinton, 95, was one of several people across the US to lose a combined $100,000 paying for botched services, officials say
Katherine Pilkinton paid $18,000 for a driveway repair, but saw cracks erupt the next morning[/caption]
She shelled out a fortune for a small section of pavement that’s been crumbling[/caption]
“I’ve been scammed before, but not like this,” Pilkinton told NBC affiliate WRAL.
In May, the North Carolina resident said that a man knocked on her door and told her he was working with the city government.
He offered to repair her driveway, explaining that she would only have to pay a portion of the cost because the government would fund the rest.
Pilkinton’s son in law also spoke with the door knocker, and they decided that they would agree to the services.
However, once the job was done, they were stunned to get slapped with an $18,000 bill for just a small section of pavement near the road.
Pilkinton went on to write him a check, even though the poor work started cracking just moments after the concrete was poured.
Now, the resident feels that she was targeted because of her age, and is urging other drivers to think twice before agreeing to any expensive projects.
“They come from other states and prey on elderly people. That’s what they do,” Pilkinton said.
On September 4, Brian Alexander Taulton, 57, was arrested and accused of defrauding several elderly people, including Pilkinton, through his heartless scams.
After he was cuffed, two other victims claimed they were robbed of more than $15,000 each.
Another said he was charged almost $16,000 for a new driveway, which almost immediately began to crack, ABC affiliate WTVD reported.
The victim allegedly called Taulton to report the issue, but learned too late that the check had already been cashed.
Taulton is currently facing and has previously faced charges in other states, with court documents showing Virginia served him with fugitive warrants for other similar cases.
He is also alleged to have posed as a Duke Energy contractor in the same area in North Carolina for a similar scam.
Brian Alexander Taulton was arrested and accused of defrauding seniors through the sick driveway scams[/caption]
Other residents shared pictures of their crumbling driveways, claiming Taulton was behind the damage[/caption]
One person’s driveway was left in pieces[/caption]
Taulton was taken into custody by the Wake Forest Sheriff’s Office and is currently being held under a $346,000 secured bond.
He has yet to file a plea but is due back in court on September 25.
Taulton is being charged with eight felony counts of exploiting a disabled/elderly person, ten felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense, and four felony counts for attempting to to obtain property by false pretense.
His elder scam history dates back as far as 2018, when he approached Virginian home owners in a similar style to these latest North Carolina incidents.
In 2019, Taulton was arrested in West Virginia for charges related to check fraud totaling $14,100.
Pilkinton urged others to “be very careful about who comes to your door” and said she hopes that Taulton is locked up “for the rest of his life.”
Bank tips for avoiding scams
As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
ELDER SCAMS EVERYWHERE
Taulton’s alleged elder scam is just one of many ways that seniors are being defrauded.
One major way tricksters target older adults is by preying on their technological literacy.
Such was the case for a 76-year-old Massachusetts resident, who lost $30,000 after being told a computer virus threatened the security of his bank account.
Technological advancements such as deepfake AI programs have also opened up new avenues for dishonest people to deceive elders.
These programs are being used to synthesize the voices of seniors’ loved ones, who allege they’re in urgent need of large sums of cash.
Former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel specifically highlighted the rise in these types of scams in 2024.
While tech-based scams are on the rise, elders are also still being targeted with more traditional methods.
In March, a Portland, Oregon resident was almost swindled out of $170,000 in a gold bar-based scheme.
These schemes target seniors by first alleging their social security numbers are compromised.
They then instruct victims to convert their wealth into gold bars and hand them over for safekeeping, thus completing the scam.
Seniors and their relatives are always best served conferring with authorities before initiating any transfers of wealth whatsoever.
