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Hoffa Dig Leads To Scam Attempts In Roseville

ROSEVILLE (WWJ) - Could Jimmy Hoffa's body be buried in your backyard? Likely not, but scam artists in Roseville would have you believe it.

It's a new twist on a scam that primarily targets Metro Detroit seniors --  this time connected to last month's dig for human remains in Roseville.

According to police, someone is sending out letters to homeowners in the area, claiming to be from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The letter tells residents that the recent search for the missing Teamster's leader's body was a ruse to mislead the media and that Hoffa's remains are actually located on their property.

Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said they have no idea who is sending these letters; the investigation into any secretly buried remains in Roseville is closed.

"We believe that's an attempt to try to lure the homeowners out of the house so that second party can come in and rob them when they're outside the home," Berlin said. "I think most people are too smart to fall for this, but it only takes one or two and their lives could be wiped out."

Police are to warning all local residents to be suspicious of such claims and never to allow themselves to be talked out of their homes to inspect their yards for any reason. Residents who are approached or contacted by someone claiming to be investigating the Hoffa case is asked to immediately contact their local police.

Talking to WWJ Newsradio 950, Detroit mob expert Scott Burnstein said there's no way the Mafia left Hoffa in a place where his body could be recovered after he disappeared from a Bloomfield Hills restaurant on July 30, 1975.

But the government isn't so sure. In fact, sources say they've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the decades-long hunt for Hoffa's remains. (More on this here).

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