Spokane residents should be on the lookout for a scam artist posing as a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman, police say.

The man, who is about 45, tries to sell victims a vacuum. If he’s not successful, he tries to get them to lend him money to expand his business.

He promises to pay back the loan at a high rate of interest, police say, but actually pockets the money and moves on.

Officers say he tends to focus on the elderly, especially women.

Witnesses say is white, 5 feet 6 inches tall with short dark hair and glasses. He may be working with an accomplice.

Detectives ask anyone who has been a victim of the scam or knows the suspect to call Crime Check, 456-2233.

, DataTimes