The short version
- El Nuevo Día reports a 76-year-old woman in Villas de Loíza lost about $4,000 after giving six bank cards to a man who arrived at her home
- NotiCel states the victim received a call from someone identifying as "López" from a bank claiming her cards had problems and that someone would pick them up
- Police said the woman discovered her account balance was $0.00 after previously holding around $4,000
- The case reported at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday was referred to the CIC Carolina property division for investigation
Victim handed over cards after phone call
A 76-year-old woman lost approximately $4,000 from her bank account after she was the victim of an alleged fraud scheme in the urbanización Villas de Loíza, according to El Nuevo Día. The woman received a phone call from a person who identified as "López" and claimed to be a bank employee, both El Nuevo Día and NotiCel reported.
The caller told her that her cards were having problems and that someone would be sent to her residence to collect them. A man later arrived at her home and the woman handed over six bank cards, El Nuevo Día reported. When she later checked her account balance it showed $0.00, down from around $4,000, according to both outlets.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Ante cualquier situación sospechosa, comuníquese directamente con su institución bancaria y con la Policía.
Our translation: In any suspicious situation, contact your banking institution and the Police directly.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Investigation referred to CIC Carolina
Agent Edna Díaz of the Loíza precinct investigated the complaint and referred the case to the Property Division of the Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) of Carolina, El Nuevo Día reported. NotiCel stated that agents from the CIC Carolina property division are investigating the complaint reported at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police urged the public not to hand over bank cards, PIN numbers or confidential information to people requesting them by phone. They advised contacting the bank and police directly in any suspicious situation.
Where the sources differ
Both El Nuevo Día and NotiCel agree on the victim's age of 76, the approximate loss of $4,000, the call from a person identifying as "López" claiming to be from a bank, the claim that cards had problems, the man arriving to collect six cards, and the subsequent discovery of a zero balance. El Nuevo Día names agent Edna Díaz and the Loíza precinct while NotiCel specifies the exact report time of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Both sources carry the same police advisory against sharing cards or information by phone.
What the reports do not say
The sources do not name the bank involved, provide a description or age of the man who collected the cards, state whether any of the six cards were used at ATMs or for purchases, indicate if the bank has reimbursed any amount, or report whether police have identified or arrested any suspects. Next steps in the CIC Carolina investigation are also not detailed.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official ¡Le vaciaron la cuenta! Mujer entrega sus tarjetas y pierde $4,000 en Loíza
- Reporting ¡Le vaciaron la cuenta! Mujer entrega sus tarjetas y pierde $4,000 en Loíza
- Reporting Mujer pierde $4,000 en fraude en Loíza
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día and NotiCel both reported the fraud details and the police advisory in Loíza. The exact report time of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday rests on NotiCel while the name of agent Edna Díaz rests on El Nuevo Día.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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