Fraud Scheme Resurfaces

A fraud last reported locally in 1988 resurfaced this week when con artists pretending to be bank officials contacted three elderly people and asked them to withdraw money from their bank accounts.

None fell for the scam, in which they were told their cooperation would help the bank catch a dishonest bank employee, said San Diego Police spokesman David Cohen.

The three people, from La Jolla, Mission Hills and East San Diego, were contacted by telephone and asked to withdraw money from the bank for a lab investigation. Instead, the three called their banks, and bank officials suggested that they contact police.

Each potential victim had deaths in the family in October or November, Cohen said.

He said police believe the con artists use obituaries to choose their victims and wait until the family collects insurance money before contacting them.

In October, 1988, an unknown number of elderly people lost money in the same scheme, Cohen said.