{ SPECIAL REPORT }
SENIORS AT RISK
Scammers prey on the elderly, and the isolation caused by the pandemic has made the problem worse here in Bergen County. By Leslie Garisto Pfaff The two men at the door told Gabriel Musella they were from the utility company, and the WoodRidge homeowner accepted them at their word. They were, after all, wearing uniforms, carrying clipboards and flashing apparent SUEZ IDs, and just the other day Musella had seen workers from the water company changing pipes out on Valley Boulevard. So when they told him they needed to see if his water was running clear, Musella, 92, invited them in. Truth be told, he was happy for the social contact, and after the men had ascertained that his water was fine, one of them engaged him in pleasant conversation—so pleasant, in fact, that his partner was able to slip away unnoticed and make his
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FEBRUARY 2022
1/13/22 2:04 PM
