Suspect steals over $70K from elderly victims in Austin: APD
Search for suspect accused of elderly fraud
The Austin Police Department is asking for help identifying a suspect and a person of interest in multiple elderly fraud cases.
AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Police Department is asking for help identifying a suspect and a person of interest in multiple elderly fraud cases.
Two victims have reported thefts, but authorities believe there could be additional cases.
The backstory:
First case
Police said on Feb. 23, between 2:30 and 4 p.m., a woman went to several banks impersonating a victim by using stolen credit cards, band account information, and a fake ID that had the victim's details along with the suspect's photo.
The suspect withdrew more than $20,000 from several banks, including two Frost bank locations — 2425 Exposition Blvd. in Austin, and 5656 Bee Caves Rd. in West Lake Hills.
Police said it is believed that the victim's wallet was stolen from her purse when she was shopping.
Second case
Austin police connected the suspect to another incident.
Police said on Feb. 25, at Randalls on 5311 Balcones Drive, the suspect and a person of interest stole a wallet out of the victim's purse while they were shopping.
The pair then went to a Chase Bank, a Wells Fargo, and a Best Buy and stole over $50,000 from the victim.
The main suspect is described as a white woman, in her early 60s to early 70s, about 160 pounds, with medium-length grey hair, and she wears glasses.
The person of interest was described as a white man, in his 30s or 40s, with a heavy build.
The suspect's vehicle was described as a white Mazda SUV.
What you can do:
The Austin Police Department is warning the community to always be alert and aware of your surroundings. They offered some tips to avoid becoming a victim:
- Always keep your purse strapped on you and in your front area, not on your side, and never to your back.
- Always keep its zippers closed shut.
- Avoid placing it on your shopping cart. If necessary, secure it by strapping it to the shopping cart.
- Never lose sight of your purse or leave it unattended.
Anyone with any information may submit a tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.
What they're saying:
"We would say the majority, more than 75% of the reports that come in, are related to seniors, the elderly, but saying that everybody is vulnerable," said Jason Meza, with the Better Business Bureau.
"It's a case of fraud. It is theft in its most common form. I mean, it is physical theft. So, there is a case for law enforcement to pursue a suspect," Meza added.
Most thefts involving seniors are committed using some sort of technology, making it more difficult to hold criminals accountable, Meza said.
"In this case, we have physical suspects in our local area that law enforcement can pursue, but many times we don't have that. Many times they're in third-world countries operating through bots or chats or technology, simply that we just can't identify a perpetrator," Meza said.
"People will obviously suffer ID theft, and there'll be people walking around with their name, seeking medical attention, getting pharmacy information, seeing a doctor in that sense, but also, yes, making payments, opening up credit accounts," Meza said.
The suspect reportedly visited several banks, impersonating the victim by using stolen credit cards, a fake ID, and bank account information.
"It's highly advised if you're in the care of somebody, a senior or an elderly person, then yes, you would want to help them out and set up yourself as a secondary or a notification person on their chain. That way, if there's a large amount of money going out through a financial institution, you will get the notification," Meza said.
The Source: Information from the Austin Police Department and an interview conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt