Scammers targeting senior citizens in Marion
MARION Ill. (KBSI) – In the past two weeks, the Marion Police Department has received multiple reports that indicates one, to two males are watching people as they check out from a self checkout station at larger retail stores.
Police Chief, David Fitts, wants to advise the community to stay vigilant after a victim used his debit card to ring up items at a self check out in a local grocery store. He says, “An individual standing behind him watched him enter his pin and after he entered his pin, he grabbed him by the shirt- tugged on his shirt and said Sir, I believe you dropped a $20 bill on the ground.”
That’s when the victim turned away to look, and the suspect’s partner in crime grabbed the victim’s debit card out of the machine and took off with it.
“And they proceeded to spend somewhere between 7 or 8 thousand dollars of this victim’s money, buying gift cards.” Said Fitts.
On another occasion, the same suspect followed another potential victim out of the store and to their car in an attempt to use that same scam, but were unsuccessful. Unfortunately, the suspects have yet to be caught. However, law enforcement were given a description.
According to Fitts, “The victims reported to us that they looked like they were either Middle Eastern or Arabic males and they spoke very fluent English and Russian.”
Although the suspects are not yet in custody, Fitts advises the community to watch their surroundings and know who’s around you at all times, especially when going into your wallet or purse. He adds, “And when you’re entering your pin into one of these machines, try to get up close to it as you can so no one behind you can see that numbers you’re entering in there.”
Through further investigation, officers say they have reason to believe that the suspects traveled to Memphis and they have hopes to retrieve pictures of them.
