Suspect Poses As Federal Agent to Steal Thousands From Woman, 78: Police

What to Know

  • The suspect, posing as a federal agent, used the stolen cash to buy several items from the Walmart on Hillsboro Boulevard, officials said.
  • The money came in the form of gift cards.
  • The alleged scammer told the victim not to tell anyone about the exchange because the judge had placed the case under a “gag order.”

Police are looking for a woman who allegedly posed as a federal agent to steal thousands of dollars in gift cards from a 78-year-old woman in Missouri…and then used the money to purchase several items at a Broward County Walmart, investigators say.

According to police, the alleged scammer called the victim pretending to be a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. The suspected con artist said the victim’s grandson had been arrested and needed $2,000 for bail. She then told the victim to buy $2,000 in gift cards and instructed her to disclose the numbers on the front and back of the cards, police said.

The suspect told the victim not to tell anyone about the exchange because the judge had placed the case under a “gag order.” She later called back and said the victim’s grandson had just punched a bailiff and needed to send another $1,500 in order to be released from jail.

In total, the suspect got away with $3,500 in gift cards, police said. She used the stolen cash to buy several items from the Walmart on Hillsboro Boulevard, officials said. 

Officers are asking anyone with information about the incident to call Broward County Crimestoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

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