(Prensa Latina) New police arrests in Uruguay today brought to the public eye the criminal proliferation of the so-called “Uncle’s Tale” to swindle elderly people living alone.
A five-member gang caught allegedly acted in several territorial departments, through a recurrent repertoire of deceptions to pre-selected targets.
The Ministry of the Interior reported that the last of their victims, 92 years old, received a call from a man who claimed to be his nephew and asked him for money to unblock a bank account, and thus got hold of 2,500 dollars.
From the denunciation of this case and the review of the surveillance cameras near the woman’s home, where she gave the money to the suspects, investigating agents matched it with other similar situations.
Police authorities have reported several cases of up to 10,000 dollars stolen by means of similar procedures, and that it has confiscated vehicles and other means used in the illicit activity.
In spite of frequent alerts to the elderly population in the media, crimes of this type continued like supposed bank exchanges of monetary bills or the ransom of a kidnapped grandson, in which elderly people lost their life savings.
However, others, more aware, contributed to set up a trap for the rogues who came to an appointment in which they ended up handcuffed and in the hands of the justice system.
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