CORYELL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — The Coryell County Sheriff’s Office has been working to dismantle a ring of scammers preying on what officials describe as “our most vulnerable neighbors.”
“Seniors are the most vulnerable population for being victimized by these kinds of individuals,” said Sheriff Scott Williams of the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office.
Some older residents in the community have been impacted by a series of check forgeries, giving scammers access to their financial accounts.
“If you have one person that you scam $500 out of, when you multiply that times 100, that’s a significant amount of money they are getting every day,” Williams said.
For Maranda May, administrator at Coryell Health RehabLiving at The Meadows, the trend is all too familiar.
“I’ve been in long-term care for almost 20 years. Scams are not new. For the entire time of my career, we've experienced scams in the elderly. It's become more prevalent as I've been in the field longer because technology is advanced,” May said.
Each year, she said, at least one or two of her residents at RehabLiving fall victim to these types of scams.
According to the FBI, millions of Americans fall victim to some form of fraud or scam every year.
“Scams do more than steal money. They shatter confidence, cause isolation, and trigger emotional stress. But with compassion, education, and community, we can help them recover and rebuild their sense of self-worth,” May said.
So far, the sheriff’s office has arrested one individual in connection to the case. Officials are now issuing a stern warning to others involved.
“We’re working diligently. I have an entire team of investigators. We’re going to come for you. We’re on our way. It’s just a matter of time,” Williams said.
The sheriff advises anyone who believes they may be targeted by a scam to contact the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office.
