FORT SMITH (KFSM) – A 74-year-old man was scammed out of $25,000 Friday (July 17) after two suspects mislead him on a false investment.
Jerry Russell of Charleston told Fort Smith police he had encountered two black males that afternoon who led him to believe he could invest $25,000 into $40,000.
One man was dressed in sloppy clothing and the other was described as clean-cut, according to the report.
Russell drove the men to Caulksville, Arkansas, where his bank was located, and dropped them off at Shane’s Restaurant so they could get something to eat. Russell then drove to his bank and withdrew his money, and went back to pick the men up.
Russell told police he placed the money in his truck glove box. They then drove back to Fort Smith to make the transaction in the clean-cut male’s office at St. Edward’s hospital.
The clean-cut male asked if he could meet someone in a McDonalds on Rogers Avenue, so Russell drove over to the restaurant. While the man went inside, the other black male moved into the front passenger seat from the back of the vehicle and placed a paper bag with money under the seat.
When the clean-cut man inside the McDonalds returned, he asked Russell if he could speak with him outside the truck. Russell obliged, but soon after got back into the truck so he could keep an eye on the man in the front seat. Russell said the clean-cut male went back inside to speak with a female and Russell stated he was advised to drive away to an office to transact the money.
As he was driving away from the McDonalds, the male jumped out of the truck and ran toward the restaurant. Russell told police he went inside the McDonalds but the two men were not there. He went back to his vehicle and discovered the money in his glove box was not there and the bag underneath the passenger seat was full of newspaper.
