Police searching for duo who scammed woman in Phoenix in November

PHOENIX — Valley law enforcement agencies are asking for the public’s help in locating two women who duped a senior woman into giving them thousands of dollars last November.

Silent Witness officials said the two scammers approached the 81-year-old female inside a Costco at 1646 W. Montebello Ave. in Phoenix on Nov. 13, 2014 around noon. The elderly woman was shopping, and the two other women convinced her to “invest” $30,000 so that they could split $150,000 between the three of them.

The suspects had the woman drive to two different banks to take out thousands of dollars. The victim first withdrew $15,000 from a bank in the Christown area, and then they went to a bank at 19th Avenue and Glendale Road.

The bank manager was familiar with the victim and told her not to withdraw any money and to redeposit the funds she took out earlier.

When the woman returned to the car, the two suspects were gone, along with her cash.

The first suspect is reported to be about 45 years old, 5-foot-6 and 150 pounds with short, straight black hair. The second suspect is presumed to be around 60 years old, 5-feet tall and 135 pounds with curly hair that might be a wig.

If you have any information on this case or the suspects, police are asking you to call Silent Witness at 480-W-I-T-N-E-S-S (480-948-6377) or toll free at 1-800-343-TIPS. You can also leave an anonymous tip on the Silent Witness website. You may earn a cash reward of as much as $1,000 if you provide information that leads to the arrest or indictment of the suspect.