The Costa Mesa Police Department has seen an increase in fraud and grand theft where thieves tend to target elder residents but they do not discriminate on age.
In one recent incident, a 19-year-old was contacted by individuals falsely claiming to be federal agents. Under the guise of protecting her assets from supposed fraudulent activity linked to her Social Security number, the suspects instructed the victim to withdraw her savings and deliver them in cash.
The victim lost over $19,000 and then reported it to to the police. An undercover operation was swiftly coordinated by CMPD detectives, who set up a second meeting with the suspects…