Police sought the public’s assistance Thursday in identifying two men suspected in a series of distracted identity thefts targeting elderly victims.
The suspects allegedly approached one elderly victim at a business in the 1600 block of West 25th Street in San Pedro, on an unspecified date and time, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Investigators determined the suspects worked together to see the victim enter a debit card PIN number on a keypad while conducting a transaction, police said. The suspects then dropped cash on the ground near the victim and alerting the victim, who turned to retrieve the money.
One of the suspects then tried unsuccessfully to remove the victim’s debit card from his wallet, so followed the man into the business parking lot, police said.
“The first suspect speaks to the victim in the parking lot and conducted a scam into having the victim present his debit card to the suspect who somehow steals the debit card,” police said in a statement.
The two suspects subsequently went to a bank at a different location and conducted several ATM withdrawals using the victim’s debit card, police said.
Police said the suspects are believed to have conducted other distraction thefts across Southern California.
Anyone with information regarding the thefts or suspects was urged to contact LAPD Commercial Crimes Division, Metropolitan Financial Section Detective Franssen at 213-486-5947. Calls made during non-business hours should be directed to 877-527-3247. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.