Thursday, February 26, 2026 7:29PM
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Police are asking for the public’s help identifying the suspects behind a string of distraction thefts targeting elderly people across Southern California.
Investigators say the man and woman work in tandem to steal from elderly victims at ATMs. They most recently targeted an 83-year-old man in Eagle Rock, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
In each of the cases, investigators say one suspect watches the victim entering their PIN at an ATM. Then one drops a $20 bill on the ground to distract them while the other replaces the victim’s debit card with a fake.
The LAPD says they have used the stolen debit cards to withdraw thousands of dollars from the victim’s bank accounts.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Commercial Crimes Division, Metropolitan Financial Section Detective Franssen at (213) 486-5947.
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