2 arrested for Sun City gutter, window cleaning scam

As the weather gets nicer, the scammers don't. Lincoln Police are alerting Sun City residents to be aware of gutter and window cleaning scammers following two recent arrests. "Over the past 18 months, LPD has investigated a series of gutter and window cleaning scams targeting elderly adults in the Sun City Neighborhood.," addressed Lincoln Police in a press release. "In several cases, suspects obtained double payment by using false pretenses, claiming a check was written to the 'wrong person' when it was absolutely correct, charging twice while promising a refund that never came, or briefly accessing a victim's phone to send themselves multiple electronic payments through an app. The total known monetary loss for the victims was over $11,000. "Payment scams are easy to fall victim to, especially with apps like Venmo, PayPal, and Apple Pay where a person's bank information or credit card information is automatically linked and ready for immediate usage," police said. "As a result of this investigation, 19-year-old Avenir Nikitchuck was arrested on a felony warrant for 9 counts of Elder Theft and Conspiracy, and 18-year-old Samuel Petrashishen was arrested on a felony warrant for 2 counts of Elder Theft and 9 counts of conspiracy." The two arrested individuals are currently being prosecuted by the Placer County District Attorney's Office. Petrashishen remains in custody with bail set at $20,000 and is scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. March 16 in Department 20 of the Placer County Superior Court in Roseville. No in-custody information was located for Nikitchuck. "Thank you LPD, I'm wondering how many other senior homeowners were scammed and didn't realize it, or were too embarrassed to report it or tell anyone," commented Linda Boerlin. If you believe either you or someone you know was a victim of similar circumstances, please contact LPD Dispatch at 916-645-4040.