BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — A woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing $260,000 from a 64-year-old College Station resident.
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Crystal Allen pled guilty to theft of property, theft from the elderly, and possession of a controlled substance. District Court Judge David Hilburn handed down the sentence on Monday.
"I think that the defendant really manipulated the victim. She tried to become her friend, would spend time with her, would just spend time talking to her, and that slowly led the victim to trust the defendant with this personal information," Assistant District Attorney, Rachel Porter said.
"In total across three bank accounts, approximately $260,000 was taken," Porter said.
According to the Better Business Bureau, Texas residents lost more than $10 million to scams last year.
"We want to believe the best in people, but sometimes people don't always have our best interests at heart," Porter said.
Experts warn that seniors are particularly vulnerable to these types of scams.
"The senior population is a very vulnerable population, so they have a very trusting nature. A lot of people can take advantage of that," APS Volunteer Board Member, Bill Lartigue said.
Lartigue told 15 ABC these incidents happen more frequently than many realize.
"It's more common than you think, man, it might not be up to the level of $200,000, but I mean, it's very common."
He advises residents to be cautious with their personal information.
"Before you give the pertinent information, ask questions, you know, why do you need this information? And, and if you have any type of inkling that this doesn't feel right, you're probably right."
"Validate their stories," he added. "Don't think that you being careful with your personal information is unreasonable. So be unreasonable with your information," he said.
If you or someone you know believes they've been a victim of a similar situation, authorities encourage you to contact your local police department.
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