Abilene Police Warn Citizens of Scammers Who Target Elderly Citizens

ABILENE, TX - Abilene police received intelligence of Romanian born nationalists traveling through the U.S. using various illegal methods to scam money from businesses and citizens.

Common cases in Abilene include home repair scams and quick change scams.

In November 2015, three Romanian Nationalists were identified as suspects who placed a skimmer device (used to capture data from the magnetic stripe on the back of bank card) in a bank ATM machine gaining hundreds of First Financial Bank customer’s financial information and stealing thousands from First Financial Bank.

Door-to-door scammers also reportedly promise to do work for elderly homeowners; however, they ask for money up-front and never follow through with any of their promises. These jobs include squirrel/rodent extermination, or various home repair jobs.

APD noted that scammers do seek out elderly citizens. Police encourage citizens to inform their loved ones not to accept any work from door-to-door soliciting without having individuals show the required license from the city government.

Locations where scams are happening include local Walmarts. Scammers also use children to help garner trust from their targets in hopes of scamming more money from individuals.

The Abilene Police Department has worked collaboratively with other Law Enforcement Agencies to gain intelligence on these suspects. They have hit many other Texas cities and are suspected to live in larger cities, like the Metroplex, and branch out into smaller cities like Abilene where they perform their scams in traveling groups.

This organized crime ring has worked in 20 states, including Texas.