- March 12, 2025
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives are trying to identify a couple who scammed a 75-year-old Palm Coast woman out of her savings of $8,000 Saturday morning.
“There is nothing unusual about this scam, but it is disturbing that these con artists have found their way into Flagler County,” said Sheriff Donald W. Fleming in a statement. “They have no qualms about taking advantage of the elderly. We would love to identify these people.”
Deputies said the victim met the two con artists Saturday in the Walmart parking lot on Cypress Point Parkway. She said she was sitting in her car when a woman holding a wrapped box in her hand knocked on the victim’s window. The scammer asked if the box belonged to the woman.
As the victim was telling her no, a man walked by and the scammer asked him if the box was his. The man was a partner in the scam. He also said the box wasn’t his, and the two opened the box, which appeared to contain stacks of $100 and $1,000 bills.
The victim suggested they turn the box in to law enforcement because the money could be counterfeit. The woman said she worked at a local grocery store that would know whether the money was genuine, so the victim drove to the grocery store to meet the couple there.
The woman took the money inside, and when she came out, she said the manager had confirmed that the money was real, but wanted to talk with each of them separately, so the man went inside.
At some point, the victim was convinced by the scammers that she needed to pull $8,000 in savings out of her bank account, so she did.
The victim went in for her chance to speak with the store manger and waited about 15 minutes before returning to her vehicle to find the couple and her money were gone.
Anyone who may have information on the scammers is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 313-4911.
