It was a classic theft-by-deception case, according to Roswell police.
An 81-year-old woman was recently scammed out of $10,000 in the parking lot at the Brannon Square shopping center in Roswell.
The elderly woman was approached on Nov. 29 by a woman whom she didn't know who asked her for a ride. The woman who approached claimed she was on medication and needed to eat, according to police.
While they were together, the suspect mentioned an investment opportunity with a Dollar Tree store. She told the elderly woman that she worked at the Dollar Tree on Holcomb Bridge Road and that she knew the owner. The suspect told the victim that she could invest in stock options with Dollar Tree if she had $10,000.
Police said the elderly victim then went to her bank and withdrew $10,000 in cash and gave the money to the suspect while they were at the post office at 10719 Alpharetta Hwy. in Roswell.
The suspect departed the area without the victim's knowledge, according to police. Later, the victim went to Dollar Tree and spoke with an employee about the investment opportunity. The employee told her that Dollar Tree is corporate-owned and that there wasn't an owner to meet with about investing in the company. The elderly woman then called police.
The Roswell Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspect. She is described as a black female in her 40s, about 5′4 to 5′6 tall, and weighing 140 to 150 pounds. She was wearing a brown shirt and slacks and carrying a large purse or bag.
Police urge residents to be careful about giving money to people who offer ‘business or investment opportunities."
"If you're meeting a stranger anywhere, don't give them your money" without verifiying their story, said Roswell police spokeswoman Officer Lisa Holland. "First check to see if what they're offering is legitimate."
The scam is similar to one that cost an elderly Athens woman $4,000 cash and two diamond rings in October. In that case, the scam began outside a store near an Athens mall. That's when the 87-year-old Athens woman was approached by a woman who showed her a bag of $100 bills, said Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry.
The crook offered to split the money with her elderly victim, but said she first needed to consult with her boss at a nearby store. The crook left and returned shortly and told the elderly victim that her boss had given her the go-ahead to split the money -- but only if the elderly woman would first provide the scammer with $6,000 cash.
The elderly woman drove the suspect to a bank and withdrew $4,000. She also gave the scammer two diamond rings.
“They pick the elderly for a number of reasons. A lot of times they have some money and they are a little more susceptible to some fast talking,” Berry said. The scammers are "usually smooth talkers who look good and sound like they know what they're talking about," he added.
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