Swindlers Trick Elderly North Hollywood Woman Out Of $45K

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA — Police Tuesday circulated composite drawings of a man and woman being sought for swindling a 75-year-old North Hollywood woman out of about $45,000.

The suspects introduced themselves to the victim about 9:30 a.m. Jan. 23 in the parking lot of a shopping center in the North Hollywood area.

The Los Angeles Police Department, which did not reveal the location of the shopping center, said the suspects "indicated they were about to leave town and needed help to donate money to a local church. The suspects told the victim they received a large sum of money and they could not take the money with them to their home country."

The pair then tricked the woman, whose name was withheld, into providing them with "good faith money," and drove her to several banks to withdraw funds over the next couple of hours, police said.

"The suspects dropped the victim at her residence, and as she exited the vehicle, the suspects sped off with all the victim's money," according to the LAPD.

The man was black or Hispanic, 60-65 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and about 140 pounds. The woman, who spoke with an "accent," was also black or Hispanic, 30-35 years old, about 5 feet tall and around 125 pounds, according to police.

The suspects' car was a newer-model dark blue Toyota Camry.

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call detectives at (818) 754-8377, or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

City News Service; Images courtesy of the the Los Angeles Police Department