Scam artists targeting seniors arrested in California

aadmin — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:00:15 +0000

Seniors are a popular target for scam artists and fraudsters, but now there is one less swindle in California, after police in the state capital of Sacramento arrested a mother and daughter team who preyed on local seniors.

As reported by CBS13, the pair is alleged to have scammed six homes in the last six weeks, by having one team member gain entry to a senior’s home by using a convincing excuse, and while the homeowner was distracted, the other team member would go throughout the home and steal valuable items.

“There is a common theme that the victims are elderly,” Sacramento police officer Doug Morse told the news outlet. “Maybe they are using that angle of compassion to enter these homes.”

According to the news outlet, an example of the scam was committed last month, when the two women, named as 43 year-old Helen Costello, and her 22 year-old daughter Shirley Costello, came to the door of one older person, asking that a two year-old child who was with them use the restroom in the victim’s home.

RetirementHomes.com recently reported on the best ways to spot scams. Have you ever been the victim of a scam? Tell us about it in the comment section below:

Tags:

crime

elderly

scam

Categories:

Elder Abuse

RetirementHomes.com - crime

Scam artists targeting seniors arrested in California