Police Warn of Credit Card Theft Incidents Targeting Elderly Victims 11/20/11
Kentlands Neighborhood Watch
Officers from the Montgomery County Police 4th District are investigating several incidents in which elderly citizens have become victims of credit card theft.
On September 9, the wallet of an 89-year-old man was stolen while he was on an elevator in the medical office building located at 18109 Prince Philip Drive in Olney. On October 20, the wallet of an 87-year-old woman was stolen from her purse while she was shopping at the Giant Food store located at 3860 International Drive in Silver Spring (Leisure World Plaza). In this incident, the suspects distracted the victim by asking him to help them locate a lost contact lens.
Shortly following both incidents, the suspects used the stolen credit cards at several gas stations and ATM’s in and around the Wheaton Plaza area. The suspects also attempted to purchase Target gift cards with the stolen credit cards from both victims.
After realizing the similarities between these incidents, officers obtained a surveillance photo of the suspects attempting to purchase the gift cards at the register of and exiting the Target store located at 11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton. The suspects are described as black males, 40-55 years of age, 6’0”-6’3”, and weighing 200-250 pounds with balding or close cut hair and little or no facial hair. Both suspects were described as well-dressed.
At this time, the officers are seeking assistance from the public in identifying the suspects and asking that anyone who may have information about the suspects to contact the 4th District Station at 240-773-5500. Also, officers are asking anyone who believes that he/she may have been a victim of these suspects to contact police.
Based on the above, the Montgomery County Police Department is offering the following tips to help eliminate the opportunity of becoming a victim of this type of theft:
For men:
Avoid carrying your wallet in your back pocket. Thieves will generally avoid stealing a wallet from a front pocket.
Avoid carrying large sums of money, several credit cards, or several forms of ID in your wallet.
For women:
Avoid carrying your wallet in your purse or use a purse that is difficult to open.
When carrying your purse, keep it closed and in front of your body.
Never leave your purse unattended on a store counter or in a grocery cart.
Oftentimes, the suspect(s) in these incidents will attempt to distract the victim before committing the theft. Be vigilant of such distractions and protect your valuables.
Kentlands Neighborhood Watch James Hubbard jhubb00@verizon.net
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Enjoy the season of Thanksgiving and be sure to have your camera in hand to capture those special moments.
Pink Chrysanthemum
The Chrysanthemum Festival at Longwood Gardens, October 29 - November 20, 2011. Our visit was on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. Longwood Gardens is located in Kennett Square, PA. Photograph by Roy Kelley using a Canon PowerShot G11 camera.
Roy and Dolores Kelley Photographs
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