Video shows what police say is a jewelry theft scam targeting the elderly in Revere
REVERE - Police in Revere are warning people to be on alert, sharing new video of what they call a jewelry theft scam targeting the elderly.
Police said an elderly woman was approached in the Northgate shopping center by two people in a car. The passenger spoke with the woman and when she's seen hugging the woman in the video, police said she put a piece of costume jewelry around her neck and stole her necklace.
Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe said city agencies are working to warn residents about the scheme.
"It just sounds like taking advantage of somebody who likely was in a vulnerable state," said Revere resident Ben Crist. "The people that are a little bit older, they appreciate people who stop and talk. I can see how you can really take advantage of someone."
Police said the suspects often work in teams traveling in a car and approach victims in the street or in parking lots, often at supermarkets. They said a common story the suspects use is it's their birthday and they want to give you a piece of jewelry.
According to the US Department of Justice the most frequent crimes committed against the elderly are Burglary Robbery and Fraud. In fact there were merely days between the Revere robbery and a similar style crime in Tyngsboro when a 77-year-old woman's heirloom necklace holding a picture of her parents who were killed in Cambodia was ripped away.
Both times, the suspects asked for hugs and exchanged the victim's real jewelry for counterfeit pieces. The suspects' vehicles in both cases also look almost identical.
Anyone who recognizes the woman in the car in Revere is asked to call Revere Police at 781-284-1212.